bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
AUV Formation Coordination Control Based on Transformed Topology under Time-Varying Delay and Communication Interruption
Authors: Li Juan , Zhang Huadong , Chen Tao , Wang Jiaqi
Published: July 2022

Aiming at the control problem of autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) pilot-following formation with communication delay and communication interruption, a controller based on feedback linearization and the PD control method is designed in this paper. Firstly, the nonlinear, strongly coupled vehicle model is transformed into a second-order model via the feedback linearization method, and then the formation coordination controller is designed based on consistency theory and the PD control method. The Markov random jump process is used to simulate the formation topology in the event of communication interruption. The condition of stable convergence of the AUV pilot-following formation is analyzed in the presence of time-varying delay and Markov transformation topology. A Lyapunov–Krasovskii equation is established, and linear matrix inequality (LMI) is used to solve the problem of communication interruption and communication delay. The boundary conditions of error convergence of the control system are obtained. Finally, the effectiveness of the formation coordination controller based on the second-order integral model under the unstable conditions of underwater acoustic communication is verified by simulation.
A Trust-Influenced Smart Grid: A Survey and a Proposal
Authors: Boakye-Boateng Kwasi , Ghorbani Ali A. , Lashkari Arash Habibi
Published: July 2022

A compromised Smart Grid, or its components, can have cascading effects that can affect lives. This has led to numerous cybersecurity-centric studies focusing on the Smart Grid in research areas such as encryption, intrusion detection and prevention, privacy and trust. Even though trust is an essential component of cybersecurity research; it has not received considerable attention compared to the other areas within the context of Smart Grid. As of the time of this study, we observed that there has neither been a study assessing trust within the Smart Grid nor were there trust models that could detect malicious attacks within the substation. With these two gaps as our objectives, we began by presenting a mathematical formalization of trust within the context of Smart Grid devices. We then categorized the existing trust-based literature within the Smart Grid under the NIST conceptual domains and priority areas, multi-agent systems and the derived trust formalization. We then proposed a novel substation-based trust model and implemented a Modbus variation to detect final-phase attacks. The variation was tested against two publicly available Modbus datasets (EPM and ATENA H2020) under three kinds of tests, namely external, internal, and internal with IP-MAC blocking. The first test assumes that external substation adversaries remain so and the second test assumes all adversaries within the substation. The third test assumes the second test but blacklists any device that sends malicious requests. The tests were performed from a Modbus server’s point of view and a Modbus client’s point of view. Aside from detecting the attacks within the dataset, our model also revealed the behaviour of the attack datasets and their influence on the trust model components. Being able to detect all labelled attacks in one of the datasets also increased our confidence in the model in the detection of attacks in the other dataset. We also believe that variations of the model can be created for other OT-based protocols as well as extended to other critical infrastructures.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Diagnose and Predict the Outcome of Diabetic Kidney Disease—Where Do We Stand?
Authors: Pruijm Menno , Aslam Ibtisam , Milani Bastien , Brito Wendy , Burnier Michel , Selby Nicholas M. , Vallée Jean-Paul
Published: July 2022

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a major public health problem and its incidence is rising. The disease course is unpredictable with classic biomarkers, and the search for new tools to predict adverse renal outcomes is ongoing. Renal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) now enables the quantification of metabolic and microscopic properties of the kidneys such as single-kidney, cortical and medullary blood flow, and renal tissue oxygenation and fibrosis, without the use of contrast media. A rapidly increasing number of studies show that these techniques can identify early kidney damage in patients with DKD, and possibly predict renal outcome. This review provides an overview of the currently most frequently used techniques, a summary of the results of some recent studies, and our view on their potential applications, as well as the hurdles to be overcome for the integration of these techniques into the clinical care of patients with DKD.
Fluvial Sediment Yields in Hyper-Arid Areas, Exemplified by Nahal Nehushtan, Israel
Authors: Armoza-Zvuloni Rachel , Shlomi Yanai , Abadi Itay , Shem-Tov Rachamim , Laronne Jonathan B.
Published: July 2022

Floods rarely occur in hyper-arid deserts and little is known about the magnitude and frequency of sediment delivery from their basins, despite their importance to changes to the landscape, infrastructures and engineering activities. Sediment yield from the Nahal Nehushtan watershed (11.9 km2) located in the Timna Valley in southern Israel was determined by assessing stratigraphic sections in its 60-year reservoir deposits. Stratigraphic correlation between event couplets allowed for quantification of sediment yields representing 13 former flow and flood events. Based on the sediment volume in the reservoir, the 29.8 t km−2 year−1 average specific sediment yield is one of the lowest among other studied warm deserts. Among the event layers, the thickest layer, deposited by a flash flood caused by a single short rain event, contributed 31% of the total sediment yield. Based on event reservoir sedimentation from watersheds located in several hyper-arid areas in the Middle East and North America, we demonstrate that sediment yield increases with drainage area as expected and mean annual sediment yield increases in hyper-arid areas with flood frequency. Our quantitative results, together with previous studies of hyper-arid areas, provide complementary evidence of fluvial sediment transport—the main landscape designer in hyper-arid fluvial landscapes.
Measurement and Influencing Factors of Low Carbon Urban Land Use Efficiency—Based on Non-Radial Directional Distance Function
Authors: Chen Han , Meng Chunyu , Cao Qilin
Published: July 2022

The development and use of urban land is a major source of carbon emissions. How to reduce carbon emissions in the process of urban land use without harming the economy has become an extremely important issue. This paper integrating carbon emissions into the urban land use efficiency evaluation index system, measures low-carbon urban land use efficiency using a non-radial directional distance function and analyses its spatial and temporal evolution and its influencing factors using a combination of a kernel density estimation method and a Tobit model. The study found that: (1) China’s low-carbon urban land use efficiency shows a fluctuating development and tends to converge; (2) there is much room for reducing land input and carbon emissions in China, and in 2016 alone, land input and carbon emissions in the sample could be reduced by 10.38% and 5.31%, respectively; (3) at the national level, land finance, economic level and population density have a positive impact on low-carbon urban land use efficiency, while the traffic level has negative effects, and these effects show regional heterogeneity. Accordingly, the paper proposes corresponding policy recommendations.
Rural Housing Rental Rates in China: Regional Differences, Influencing Factors, and Policy Implications
Authors: Huang Li , Zheng Minjie , Wang Rongyu
Published: July 2022

Through recognition and mastery of the regional differences and influencing factors of China’s rural housing rental rates, we can better understand changes in the functional attributes of homesteads and deepen the reform of “separating rural land ownership rights, contract rights, and management rights” of homesteads. Accordingly, this paper uses village residence data from the China Labor-force Dynamics Survey to measure the degree of regional differences in rural housing rental rates at the province level and empirically analyze the influencing factors with villages (residences) as measuring unit. The study yields four main findings. First, rural housing rental behavior exists to varying degrees in the vast majority of provinces nationwide. Second, according to the spatial distribution pattern, rural housing rental rates are generally high in the eastern coastal region and low in the central, western, and northeastern regions, mainly reflecting unique characteristics of the eastern region. Third, although the level of economic development is important, it is not the only factor explaining regional differences in rural housing rental rates. Fourth, rural housing rental rates are mainly influenced by a combination of three types of factors: physiographic, socioeconomic, and village governance factors. Among them, factors such as proximity to suburban areas, the proportion of non-local permanent residents, annual per capita income, and village infrastructure conditions have significant positive effects, whereas factors such as distance from administrative centers, reliance on funding from the higher-level authority of the village committee, and the degree of harmony between villages and cadres have significant negative effects. By interpreting the policy implications of these findings, we hope to provide a reference for localized, categorical reform of the homestead system.
Analysis of the Spatial and Temporal Characteristics and Dynamic Effects of Urban-Rural Integration Development in the Yangtze River Delta Region
Authors: Zhao Wei , Jiang Changjun
Published: July 2022

Urban-rural integration has been found to be an inevitable trend in the development of urban-rural relations and a vital measure to tackle the unbalanced and uncoordinated development between urban and rural areas. Most existing studies on the development of urban-rural integration have only estimated its level and factors and compared the heterogeneity of cities in sample regions. Few studies have focused on the interactions between different categories of urban-rural integration levels. Accordingly, to fill the above research gap, an evaluation index system of the development of urban-rural integration is built in this study from four economic-social-spatial-ecological dimensions, the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of the development of urban-rural integration in 27 central cities in the Yangtze River Delta region between 2003 and 2020 are analyzed, and the intrinsic dynamic shock effects are empirically investigated using a panel vector autoregression (PVAR) model. This study suggests the following points: (1) the development of urban-rural integration in the Yangtze River Delta region tends to increase while fluctuating and experiences an evolutionary process of “severe dysfunction–moderate dysfunction–mild dysfunction”, with an overall positive development trend. (2) In the study period, the agglomeration effect of the level of the development of urban-rural integration in the Yangtze River Delta has been strengthened continuously, and the overall spatial distribution pattern has changed from “low level, low gap” to “high level, high gap”, showing the characteristics of decreasing class distribution step by step, with Shanghai and Anqing as the markers from east to west. (3) All the endogenous variables of the development of urban-rural integration show a continuous positive response to their own shocks, thus suggesting that the respective variable has a certain path dependence on itself. Shocks of urban-rural ecological integration are capable of boosting the improvement of urban-rural economic integration and urban-rural social integration development, and shocks of urban-rural social integration contribute to the improvement of urban-rural ecological integration. The important policy implication of this study is that an intra-regional linkage and coordination mechanism should be built in the future, while the focus should be placed on the heterogeneity of regional development, and policies and measures regarding development of urban-rural integration in a disaggregated manner should be developed, so as to facilitate the improvement of the level of regional development of urban-rural integration.
The Future of City Squares: Robotics in the Urban Design of Tomorrow
Authors: Dąbrowska-Żółtak Karolina , Wojtowicz Jerzy , Wrona Stefan
Published: July 2022

Technological development generates social changes while providing new tools that can be implemented in the fields of architecture and urban design. It creates the need to enrich architects’ competencies with knowledge and experience, enabling the conscious use of technology in designing future functional solutions for responsive space and the optimization of accessibility for various groups of users. This paper presents a teaching method developed to study the integration of architecture, urban planning and mechatronics to create a dynamic common space, responding to changing user needs and environmental conditions. Four experimental projects for a chosen public space were designed by students in order to investigate research by design and as an agenda for further design research. In the final part of the article, we present predictions for the future development of kinetic and responsive architecture in public spaces, including potential opportunities and challenges.
Language Competence in Italian Heritage Speakers: The Contribution of Clitic Pronouns and Nonword Repetition
Authors: Smith Giuditta , Spelorzi Roberta , Sorace Antonella , Garraffa Maria
Published: July 2022

The linguistic profile of bilingual children is known to show areas of overlap with that of children affected by Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), creating a need to differentiate the profiles and provide clinicians with tools to evaluate bilingual speakers in both of their languages. Data from typical adult bilinguals provide a picture of the language of a bilingual speaker at the end of language development. The present work explores how clitic production and nonword repetition (NWR) behave in mature language systems in situations of bilingualism, aiming to provide initial data as a benchmark on Italian as a non-dominant language. Heritage speakers (HSs) of Italian were confronted with adult immigrants (AIs) who moved from Italy to an English-speaking country in adulthood. Clitic pronouns were found to be vulnerable in HSs, who produced approximately 35% of the target clitics against the 80% of Ais, suggesting that clitic pronouns may not be reliable structures to test language competence in heritage Italian. On the other hand, HSs were >97% correct in NWR, suggesting that this paradigm should be explored as a possible marker to test language competence in these populations.
Phloretin in Benign Prostate Hyperplasia and Prostate Cancer: A Contemporary Systematic Review
Authors: Yang Che-Hsueh , Ou Yen-Chuan , Lin Chi-Chien , Lin Yi-Sheng , Tung Min-Che , Yu Chia-Cheng , Lin Jen-Tai , Wen Chen-Yueh
Published: July 2022

Currently, medication for benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa) are mainly based on modulating the hormone and nervous systems. However, side effects often affect patients, and might decrease their commitment to continuing the medication and lower their quality of life. Some studies have indicated that chronic inflammation might be the cause of BPH and PCa. Based on this hypothesis, the effect of phloretin, a potent anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative flavonoid, has been researched since 2010. Results from animal and in-vitro studies, obtained from databases, also indicate that the use of phloretin in treating BPH and PCa is promising. Due to its effect on inflammatory cytokines, apoptosis or anti-apoptosis, reactive oxygen species, anti-oxidant enzymes and oxidative stress, phloretin is worthy of further study in human clinical trials regarding safety and effective dosages.
Mesenchymal-Stem-Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Attenuate Brain Injury in Escherichia coli Meningitis in Newborn Rats
Authors: Kim Young-Eun , Ahn So-Yoon , Park Won-Soon , Sung Dong-Kyung , Sung Se-In , Yang Mi-Sun , Chang Yun-Sil
Published: July 2022

We recently reported that transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) significantly reduced bacterial growth and brain injury in neonatal meningitis induced by Escherichia coli (E. coli) infection in newborn rats. As a next step, to verify whether the MSCs protect against brain injury in a paracrine manner, this study was designed to estimate the efficacy of MSC-derived extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) in E. coli meningitis in newborn rats. E. coli meningitis was induced without concomitant bacteremia by the intra-cerebroventricular injection of 5 × 102 colony-forming units of K1 (-) E. coli in rats, at postnatal day 11. MSC-EVs were intra-cerebroventricularly transplanted 6 h after the induction of meningitis, and antibiotics were administered for three consecutive days starting at 24 h after the induction of meningitis. The increase in bacterial growth in the cerebrospinal fluid measured at 24 h after the meningitis induction was not significantly reduced following MSC-EV transplantation. However, an increase in brain cell death, reactive gliosis, and inflammation following meningitis were significantly attenuated after MSC-EV transplantation. Taken together, our results indicate that MSCs show anti-apoptotic, anti-gliosis, and anti-inflammatory, but not antibacterial effects, in an EV-mediated paracrine manner in E. coli-induced neonatal meningitis.
Comparative Transcriptome Profiling Provides Insights into Plant Salt Tolerance in Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus)
Authors: Zhu Yingchun , Yuan Gaopeng , Gao Bowen , An Guolin , Li Weihua , Si Wenjing , Sun Dexi , Liu Junpu
Published: July 2022

Salt stress seriously reduced the yield and quality of watermelon and restricted the sustainable development of the watermelon industry. However, the molecular mechanism of watermelon in response to salt stress is still unclear. In this study, 150 mmol·L−1 NaCl was used to deal with the seedlings of salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive watermelon varieties. Physiological characteristics showed that salt stress significantly reduced the biomass of watermelon seedlings and the accumulation of K+ in roots and leaves and significantly increased the content of Na+, Cl−, and malondialdehyde (MDA). Compared with the salt-sensitive variety, the salt-tolerant variety had higher K+ accumulation, lower Cl−, Cl− accumulation, and MDA content in roots and leaves. Then, RNA-seq was performed on roots and leaves in normal culture and under 150 mmol·L−1 NaCl treatment. A total of 21,069 genes were identified by RNA-seq analysis, of which 1412 were genes encoding transcription factors (TFs). In the comparison groups of roots and leaves, 122 and 123 shared differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained, respectively. Gene ontology (GO) annotation and KEGG enrichment results showed that there were many identical GO terms and KEGG pathways in roots and leaves, especially the pathways that related to sugar or energy (ATP or NADP+/NADPH). In addition, some DEGs related to salt tolerance were identified, such as plant hormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and gibberellin (GA) signal transduction pathway-related genes, K+/Na+/Ca2+-related genes, lignin biosynthesis-related genes, etc. At the same time, we also identified some TFs related to salt tolerance, such as AP2-EREBP, bZIP, bHLH, MYB, NAC, OFP, TCP, and WRKY and found that these TFs had high correlation coefficients with salt tolerance-related genes, indicating that they might have a potential regulatory relationship. Interestingly, one TCP TF (Cla97C09G174040) co-exists both in roots and leaves, and it is speculated that it may be regulated by miR319 to improve the salt tolerance of watermelon.
An Analysis of Reaction Forces in Crankshaft Support Systems
Authors: Nozdrzykowski Krzysztof , Grządziel Zenon , Grzejda Rafał , Warzecha Mariusz , Stępień Mateusz
Published: July 2022

During measurements, the crankshafts of marine engines are usually supported on a set of rigid prisms. Such prisms maintain a constant height position, cause different values of reaction forces and, consequently, may cause elastic deformations of the crankshafts. Thus, the measurements of the dimensions and geometry of the crankshaft may be distorted. This article proposes a measuring system developed to support the crankshaft with a set of flexible supports. These supports implemented the given reaction forces, which ensured the elimination of the crankshaft deformations, regardless of the possible deviations, i.e., in the coaxiality of the main crankshaft journals. The values of these forces were calculated using the finite element method (FEM). These calculations showed that in order to eliminate the crankshaft deformations, the values of the reaction forces must change not only on individual supports, but also with the change of the shaft rotation angle during the measurement. The numerical experiments showed that the application of flexible supports results in uniform contact reaction forces on adjacent main journal supports. This uniformity occurs regardless of the quality of the crankshaft geometry. Thus, the necessity to use a set of flexible supports for measuring marine engine crankshafts was confirmed. The research also showed that the values of the reaction forces ensuring the elimination of shaft deflections under the assumption of nodal support can be treated as corresponding to the resultant reaction forces realized by the prismatic heads.
Effect of Types of Microparticles on Vibration Reducibility of Cementitious Composites
Authors: Wu Siyu , Park Sungwoo , Pyo Sukhoon
Published: July 2022

The vibration-reducing ability of construction materials is generally described by the damping ratio of the materials. Previously, many studies on the damping ratio of concrete have been done, such as the addition of rubber, polymer, fiber, and recycled aggregates in the concrete. However, the application of these materials in construction is limited due to their drawbacks. This paper investigated the effect of the replacement ratio and the size of the hollow glass microspheres (HGM), cenospheres (CS), and graphite flakes (GF) on the damping ratio of mortar. Furthermore, rubber particles (RP), aluminum powder (AP), and natural fiber (NF) were investigated to find if they have a combination effect with HGM. The half-power bandwidth method was conducted to obtain the damping ratio at 28 days of curing, and the compressive and flexural strength tests were also conducted to study the mechanical properties of mortar that contained HGM, CS, and GF. The results show that increases in the size of HGM and the replacement ratio of sand with HGM lead to an increase in the damping ratio. Moreover, RP and NF do not provide a combination effect with HGM on the damping ratio, whereas the application of AP results in a drastic compressive strength decrease even with an increase in damping ratio when incorporated with HGM. Besides, an increase in the replacement percentage of CS also leads to an improvement in the damping ratio, and a smaller size and higher replacement ratio of GFs can improve the damping ratio compared to other additives. As a result, CS and GF are more effective than HGM. 50% replacement ratio of CS slightly reduced the compressive strength by 6.4 MPa while improving the damping ratio by 15%, and 10% replacement ratio of samller GF can enhance the flexural strength by over 4.55% while increasing the damping ratio by 20.83%.
Changes in Synthetic Soda Ash Production and Its Consequences for the Environment
Authors: Cichosz Marcin , Kiełkowska Urszula , Skowron Kazimierz , Kiedzik Łukasz , Łazarski Sławomir , Szkudlarek Marian , Kowalska Beata , Żurawski Damian
Published: July 2022

This publication presents a series of data of one of the most difficult chemical processes to implement in industrial conditions. Obtaining soda using the Solvay technique is a process with a world volume of about 28 Tg per year. The process is extremely physico-chemically complex and environmentally burdensome. The paper presents information on a multi-component system containing three phases with a chemical reaction. Calculations for such systems and their engineering are very complicated, but the authors show how the results of this work can be applied. This paper also describes modifications of the soda process to minimize the environmental burden and minimize the production input of Na2CO3. The modifications were beneficial in reducing CO2 emissions and increased the efficiency of the soda process, resulting in a measurable financial benefit. At the scale of the plant where the experiment was carried out, this reduction in CO2 emissions amounts to 7.93 Gg per year.
Antioxidant Effect of Nanoparticles Composed of Zein and Orange (Citrus sinensis) Extract Obtained by Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction
Authors: Luque-Alcaraz Ana G. , Velazquez-Antillón Miranda , Hernández-Téllez Cynthia N. , Graciano-Verdugo Abril Z. , García-Flores Nadia , Iriqui-Razcón Jorge L. , Silvas-García María Irene , Zazueta-Raynaud Aldo , Moreno-Vásquez María J. , Hernández-Abril Pedro A.
Published: July 2022

In the present research, an orange extract (OE) was obtained and encapsulated in a zein matrix for its subsequent physicochemical characterization and evaluation of its antioxidant capacity. The OE consists of phenolic compounds and flavonoids extracted from orange peel (Citrus sinensis) by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). The results obtained by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated that zein nanoparticles with orange extract (NpZOE) presented a nanometric size and spherical shape, presenting a hydrodynamic diameter of 159.26 ± 5.96 nm. Furthermore, ζ-potential evolution and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques were used to evaluate the interaction between zein and OE. Regarding antioxidant activity, ABTS and DPPH assays indicated no significant differences at high concentrations of orange peel extract and NpZOE; however, NpZOE was more effective at low concentrations. Although this indicates that ultrasonication as an extraction method effectively obtains the phenolic compounds present in orange peels, the nanoprecipitation method under the conditions used allowed us to obtain particles in the nanometric range with positive ζ-potential. On the other hand, the antioxidant capacity analysis indicated a high antioxidant capacity of both OE and the NpZOE. This study presents the possibility of obtaining orange extracts by ultrasound and coupling them to zein-based nanoparticulate systems to be applied as biomedical materials functionalized with antioxidant substances of pharmaceutical utility.
Trends and Prospects in Surface Engineering
Authors: Rokosz Krzysztof
Published: July 2022

Surface engineering is an interdisciplinary topic thatcontains many branches of science related to materials science, chemistry, and physics [...]
Magnetic and Luminescence Properties of 8-Coordinated Pyridyl Adducts of Samarium(III) Complexes Containing 4,4,4-Trifluoro-1-(naphthalen-2-yl)-1,3-butanedionate
Authors: Mautner Franz A. , Bierbaumer Florian , Vicente Ramon , Speed Saskia , Tubau Ánnia , Fischer Roland C. , Massoud Salah S.
Published: July 2022

A novel series of polypyridyl adducts, [Sm(ntfa)3(NN)] (2–4), with ntfa = 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-(naphthalen-2-yl)-1,3-butanedionate, NN = 2,2′-bipyridine (bipy), 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine (4,4′-Me2bipy), and 5,5′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine (5,5′-Me2bipy) were synthesized from the precursor complex [Sm(ntfa)3(MeOH)2] (1) and the corresponding pyridyl ligands. Single X-ray crystallography showed that the complexes displayed 8-coordinated geometry. The solid pyridyl adducts 2–4 exhibited emission of luminescence in the NIR and visible regions with close quantum yields (QY = 0.20–0.25%). The magnetic data of 1–4 showed larger values than those expected for magnetically noncoupled Sm(III) complexes in the 6H5/2 ground state, with no saturation on the applied high magnetic field static at a temperature of 2 K.
Achieving Security in Proof-of-Proof Protocol with Non-Zero Synchronization Time
Authors: Kovalchuk Lyudmila , Kostanda Volodymyr , Marukhnenko Oleksandr , Pozhylenkov Oleksii
Published: July 2022

Among the most significant problems that almost any blockchain faces are the problems of increasing its throughput (i.e., the number of transactions per unit of time) and the problem of a long waiting time before block confirmation. Thus, for example, in the most common BTC blockchain, according to various estimates, throughput is from 3 to 7 tps (transactions per second), and the average block confirmation time (block is considered confirmed if it has at least 6 blocks over it) is 1 h. At the same time, it is impossible to solve these problems directly by increasing the block size or increasing block generation intensity because this leads to essentially a decrease in the security of the blockchain in the first turn against double spend and splitting attacks. Such problems lead to the inconvenience of the practical use of cryptocurrencies to pay for goods and services. Proposed a few years ago, the PoP consensus protocol potentially helps to solve the problem of increasing blockchain throughput, although it was originally intended to ensure the stability of “young” blockchains, with “small” PoW, through the use of a secure blockchain, such as BTC. A blockchain that has provable security is called the security-provided blockchain (SPB), and one that uses SPB to achieve its security is called the security-inherited blockchain. In this paper, we give explicit formulas which describe how the number of confirmation blocks in the security-inherited blockchain, which is sufficient to achieve a given security level of this blockchain to a double spend attack, depends on the parameters of both blockchains. It is essential that we use a realistic model to obtain the results, taking into account the synchronization times of both blockchains. Such a model is much closer to the real situation, but at the same time, it leads to significant analytical difficulties in obtaining results. The obtained formulas are convenient for numerical calculations, the numerous examples of which are also given in this work.
Dual Role of Chitin as the Double Edged Sword in Controlling the NLRP3 Inflammasome Driven Gastrointestinal and Gynaecological Tumours
Authors: Dhanjal Chetan Roger , Lingamsetty Rathnamegha , Pareddy Anooshka , Kim Se-Kwon , Raval Ritu
Published: July 2022

The role of NLRP3 in the tumour microenvironment is elusive. In some cancers, the activation of NLRP3 causes a worse prognosis and in some cancers, NLRP3 increases chances of survivability. However, in many cases where NLRP3 has a protumorigenic role, inhibition of NLRP3 would be a crucial step in therapy. Consequently, activation of NLRP3 would be of essence when inflammation is required. Although many ways of inhibiting and activating NLRP3 in cancers have been discussed before, not a lot of focus has been given to chitin and chitosan in this context. The availability of these marine compounds and their versatility in dealing with inflammation needs to be investigated further in relation with cancers, along with other natural extracts. In this review, the effects of NLRP3 on gastrointestinal and gynaecological cancers and the impact of different natural extracts on NLRP3s with special emphasis on chitin and chitosan is discussed. A research gap in using chitin derivatives as anti/pro-inflammatory agents in cancer treatment has been highlighted.
Failure Rate Model of Materials under Uncertain Constant Amplitude Cyclic Load
Authors: Bai Xuezong , Wei Xubing , Ma Qiang , An Zongwen
Published: July 2022

Failure rate is an important reliability index of mechanical components. Failure rate is usually used to characterize the degradation rule of material performance under the cyclic load, which is critical to fatigue life prediction as well as reliability assessment of Ti–6Al–2Sn–4Zr–6Mo (Ti-6246) alloy. In order to reveal the probability characteristics of failure rate of Ti-6246 alloy under uncertain cyclic load, the equation of P-S-N curve is studied in this paper. Firstly. The probability density function for fatigue life under uncertain cyclic loading is derived from the probability density function for external stresses. A probabilistic model for the failure rate is then presented based on the basic assumptions. It is assumed that the failure rate and fatigue life of the material depend on the same damage state. Finally, the validity of the proposed model is verified by the Ti-6246 alloy fatigue test. The results show that the fatigue life of Ti-6246 alloy is more affected by material parameters (internal factors) than stress (external factors) under uncertain constant amplitude cyclic loading.
“Unity and Struggle of Opposites” as a Basis for the Functioning of Synthetic Bacterial Immobilized Consortium That Continuously Degrades Organophosphorus Pesticides
Authors: Efremenko Elena , Stepanov Nikolay , Maslova Olga , Senko Olga , Aslanli Aysel , Lyagin Ilya
Published: July 2022

This work was aimed at the development of an immobilized artificial consortium (IMAC) based on microorganisms belonging to the Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial cells capable of jointly carrying out the rapid and effective degradation of different organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs): paraoxon, parathion, methyl parathion, diazinon, chlorpyrifos, malathion, dimethoate, and demeton-S-methyl. A cryogel of poly(vinyl alcohol) was applied as a carrier for the IMAC. After a selection was made between several candidates of the genera Rhodococcus and Pseudomonas, the required combination of two cultures (P. esterophilus and R. ruber) was found. A further change in the ratio between the biomass of the cells inside the granules of IMAC, increasing the packing density of cells inside the same granules and decreasing the size of the granules with IMAC, gave a 225% improvement in the degradation activity of the cell combination. The increase in the velocity and the OPP degradation degree was 4.5 and 16 times greater than the individual P. esterophilus and R. ruber cells, respectively. Multiple uses of the obtained IMAC were demonstrated. The increase in IMAC lactonase activity confirmed the role of the cell quorum in the action efficiency of the synthetic biosystem. The co-inclusion of natural strains in a carrier during immobilization strengthened the IMAC activities without the genetic enhancement of the cells.
Relationship between Bacterial Contribution and Self-Healing Effect of Cement-Based Materials
Authors: Šovljanski Olja , Tomić Ana , Markov Siniša
Published: July 2022

The civil research community has been attracted to self-healing bacterial-based concrete as a potential solution in the economy 4.0 era. This concept provides more sustainable material with a longer lifetime due to the reduction of crack appearance and the need for anthropogenic impact. Regardless of the achievements in this field, the gap in the understanding of the importance of the bacterial role in self-healing concrete remains. Therefore, understanding the bacterial life cycle in the self-healing effect of cement-based materials and selecting the most important relationship between bacterial contribution, self-healing effect, and material characteristics through the process of microbiologically (bacterially) induced carbonate precipitation is just the initial phase for potential applications in real environmental conditions. The concept of this study offers the possibility to recognize the importance of the bacterial life cycle in terms of application in extreme conditions of cement-based materials and maintaining bacterial roles during the self-healing effect.
Synthesis and Theoretical Studies of Aromatic Azaborines
Authors: Hirva Pipsa , Turhanen Petri , Timonen Juri M.
Published: July 2022

Organoboron compounds are well known for their use as synthetic building blocks in several significant reactions, e.g., palladium-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling. As an element, boron is fascinating; as part of a molecule it structurally resembles a three-valent atom, but if there is a lone pair of electrons nearby, the boron atom’s empty p-orbital may capture the lone pair and form a covalent bond. This is the main aspect that is challenging chemistry during the synthesis of boron containing molecules and may lead into unexpected reactions and products. To study this, we synthesized and studied novel aromatic azaborines for better understanding of their structures and reactions. Here, we report a one-pot method for the synthesis of substituted aromatic azaborines and computational studies of their structure to explain their observed chemical properties.
Quantitative Characterization of Age-Related Changes in Peripheral Vessels of a Human Palm Using Raster-Scan Optoacoustic Angiography
Authors: Perekatova Valeriya , Kirillin Mikhail , Nemirova Svetlana , Orlova Anna , Kurnikov Alexey , Khilov Aleksandr , Pavlova Ksenia , Kazakov Viacheslav , Vildanov Vadim , Turchin Ilya , Subochev Pavel
Published: July 2022

The analysis of age-related changes in skin vessels based on optoacoustic angiographic images during the in vivo skin monitoring of healthy volunteers at different ages is reported. As a result of a quantitative analysis of the three-dimensional OA images, the age-associated differences in the following image parameters were revealed: image intensity, ratio of blood content at different characteristics depths, total vessel length, and number of branches. The reported approach can be effectively employed for automatic assessment and monitoring of age-related vascular changes in the skin and underlying tissues.
A Multichannel Superconductor-Based Photonic Crystal Optical Filter Tunable in the Visible and Telecom Windows at Cryogenic Temperature
Authors: González Luz E. , Segura-Gutierrez Lina M. , Ordoñez John E. , Zambrano Gustavo , Reina John H.
Published: July 2022

We design and evaluate the performance of a one-dimensional photonic crystal (PhC) optical filter that comprises the integration of alternating layers of a barium titanate ferroelectric (BaTiO3) and an yttrium oxide dielectric (Y2O3), with a critical high-temperature superconductor defect, yttrium–barium–copper oxide (YBa2Cu3O7−X), resulting in the (BTO/Y2O3)N/YBCO/(Y2O3/BTO)N multilayered nanostructure array. Here, we demonstrate that such a nanosystem allows for routing and switching optical signals at well-defined wavelengths, either in the visible or the near-infrared spectral regions—the latter as required in optical telecommunication channels. By tailoring the superconductor layer thickness, the multilayer period number N, the temperature and the direction of incident light, we provide a computational test-bed for the implementation of a PhC-optical filter that works for both wavelength-division multiplexing in the 300–800 nm region and for high-Q filtering in the 1300–1800 nm range. In particular, we show that the filter’s quality factor of resonances Q increases with the number of multilayers—it shows an exponential scaling with N (e.g., in the telecom C-band, Q≈470 for N=8). In the telecom region, the light transmission slightly shifts towards longer wavelengths with increasing temperature; this occurs at an average rate of 0.25 nm/K in the range from 20 to 80 K, for N=5 at normal incidence. This rate can be enhanced, and the filter can thus be used for temperature sensing in the NIR range. Moreover, the filter works at cryogenic temperature environments (e.g., in outer space conditions) and can be integrated into either photonic and optoelectronic circuits or in devices for the transmission of information.
Leaf Extracts from Resistant Wild Tomato Can Be Used to Control Late Blight (Phytophthora infestans) in the Cultivated Tomato
Authors: Arafa Ramadan A. , Kamel Said M. , Taher Dalia I. , Solberg Svein Ø. , Rakha Mohamed T.
Published: July 2022

Late blight disease, caused by Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary, is one of the most challenging diseases threatening tomato production and other Solanaceae crops. Resistance to late blight is found in certain wild species, but the mechanism behind the resistance is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to examine the metabolic profiles in the leaf tissue of late blight-resistant wild tomato and to investigate if leaf extracts from such genotypes could be used to control late blight in tomato production. We included three recognized late blight-resistant wild tomato accessions of Solanum habrochaites (LA1777, LA2855, and LA1352) and two recognized highly susceptible genotypes, S. lycopersicum (‘Super Strain B’) and S. pimpinellifolium (LA0375). The metabolic profiles were obtained in both inoculated and non-inoculated plants by analyzing leaf extracts using high-resolution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with three replicate analyses of each genotype. We focused on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and identified 31 such compounds from the five genotypes with a retention time ranging from 6.6 to 22.8 min. The resistant genotype LA 1777 produced the highest number of VOCs (22 and 21 in the inoculated and control plants, respectively), whereas the susceptible genotype ‘Super Strain B’ produced the lowest number of VOCs (11 and 13 in the respective plants). Among the VOCs, 14 were detected only in the resistant genotypes, while two were detected only in the susceptible ones. In vitro trials, with the use of a detached leaflet assay and whole-plant approach, were conducted. We revealed promising insights regarding late blight management and showed that metabolic profiling may contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms behind P. infestans resistance in tomato and its wild relatives.
Evaluation of the Obstetric Patient: Pregnancy Outcomes during COVID-19 Pandemic—A Single-Center Retrospective Study in Romania
Authors: Mitranovici Melinda Ildiko , Chiorean Diana Maria , Oală Ioan Emilian , Petre Izabella , Cotoi Ovidiu Simion
Published: July 2022

Acute respiratory-syndrome-related coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2, has become a public health issue in our country. It mainly affects the vulnerable population, especially those with comorbidities. In this retrospective study, we set out to explore the effects of COVID-19 on pregnancy, with the vulnerability of pregnant women to SARS-CoV-2 infection also representing a main focus. We included 39 patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and 39 control subjects recruited from the Emergency County Hospital of Hunedoara, Romania. Our aim was to explore the indirect impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pregnancy, as our patient group was included in the “high-risk” category. As a result, cesarean section prevailed, the main reason being fetal hypoxia. Newborns were evaluated by real-time postnatal polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) viral testing: none exhibited SARS-CoV-2 infection, with no vertical transmission of the virus being detected. Moreover, we observed no maternal or neonatal deaths resulting from COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 has been found to cause a heterogeneity of manifestations with damage to multiple organs, and its evolution remains unknown. In our study, the need for antiviral treatment was limited, but anticoagulants proved effective in terms of improving the outcome.
A New Robotic Endoscope Holder for Ear and Sinus Surgery with an Integrated Safety Device
Authors: Michel Guillaume , Bordure Philippe , Chablat Damien
Published: July 2022

In the field of sinus and ear surgery, and more generally in microsurgery, the surgeon is faced with several challenges. The operations are traditionally carried out under binocular loupes, which allows for the surgeon to use both hands for a microinstrument and an aspiration tool. More recently, the development of endoscopic otological surgery allowed for seeing areas that are difficult to access. However, the need to handle the endoscope reduces the surgeon’s ability to use only one instrument at a time. Thus, despite anaesthesia, patient motions during surgery can be very risky and are not that rare. Because the insertion zone in the middle ear or in the sinus cavity is very small, the mobility of the endoscope is limited to a rotation around a virtual point and a translation for the insertion of the camera. A mechanism with remote center motion (RCM) is a good candidate to achieve this movement and allow for the surgeon to access the ear or sinus. Since only the translational motion along the main insertion axis is enabled, the ejection motion along the same axis is safe for the patient. A specific mechanism allows for inserting and ejecting the endoscope. In a sense, the position is controlled, and the velocity is limited. In the opposite sense, the energy stored in the spring allows for very quick ejection if the patient moves. A prototype robot is presented using these new concepts. Commercially available components are used to enable initial tests to be carried out on synthetic bones to validate the mobility of the robot and its safety functions.
Multi-Criteria Evaluation for Sorting Motion Planner Alternatives
Authors: Papaioannou Georgios , Htike Zaw , Lin Chenhui , Siampis Efstathios , Longo Stefano , Velenis Efstathios
Published: July 2022

Automated vehicles are expected to push towards the evolution of the mobility environment in the near future by increasing vehicle stability and decreasing commute time and vehicle fuel consumption. One of the main limitations they face is motion sickness (MS), which can put their wide impact at risk, as well as their acceptance by the public. In this direction, this paper presents the application of motion planning in order to minimise motion sickness in automated vehicles. Thus, an optimal control problem is formulated through which we seek the optimum velocity profile for a predefined road path for multiple fixed journey time (JT) solutions. In this way, a Pareto Front will be generated for the conflicting objectives of MS and JT. Despite the importance of optimising both of these, the optimum velocity profile should be selected after taking into consideration additional objectives. Therefore, as the optimal control is focused on the MS minimisation, a sorting algorithm is applied to seek the optimum solution among the pareto alternatives of the fixed time solutions. The aim is that this solution will correspond to the best velocity profile that also ensures the optimum compromise between motion comfort, safety and driving behaviour, energy efficiency, journey time and riding confidence.
Gauze Detection and Segmentation in Minimally Invasive Surgery Video Using Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Sánchez-Brizuela Guillermo , Santos-Criado Francisco-Javier , Sanz-Gobernado Daniel , de la Fuente-López Eusebio , Fraile Juan-Carlos , Pérez-Turiel Javier , Cisnal Ana
Published: July 2022

Medical instruments detection in laparoscopic video has been carried out to increase the autonomy of surgical robots, evaluate skills or index recordings. However, it has not been extended to surgical gauzes. Gauzes can provide valuable information to numerous tasks in the operating room, but the lack of an annotated dataset has hampered its research. In this article, we present a segmentation dataset with 4003 hand-labelled frames from laparoscopic video. To prove the dataset potential, we analyzed several baselines: detection using YOLOv3, coarse segmentation, and segmentation with a U-Net. Our results show that YOLOv3 can be executed in real time but provides a modest recall. Coarse segmentation presents satisfactory results but lacks inference speed. Finally, the U-Net baseline achieves a good speed-quality compromise running above 30 FPS while obtaining an IoU of 0.85. The accuracy reached by U-Net and its execution speed demonstrate that precise and real-time gauze segmentation can be achieved, training convolutional neural networks on the proposed dataset.