bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evolution of Temperature Field of Slabs during the Feeding Strip Process in Continuous Casting
Authors: Zhu Hong-Chun , Zhang Rui , Li Hua-Bing , Jiang Zhou-Hua , Zhang Shu-Cai , Geng Yi-Feng
Published: April 2023

The implementation of a feeding strip is a widely recognized and effective technique to improve the quality of continuous cast slabs. To comprehensively understand the effect of feeding strip on the temperature field of slabs during continuous casting, a mathematical model is developed that considers the breaking and shedding of strip, and, the accuracy of the developed model is verified by the macroscopic structural observations of S32654 steel ingot. During the feeding strip process, changes in the morphology of strip undergo four stages: frozen‐sheath formation, rapid melting, alternation of melting and solidification, and disappearance. Its corresponding cross‐sectional area rapidly increases to a maximum, sharply decreases, oscillates, and eventually reaches zero. The feeding strip effectively mitigates the impingement of jet onto the narrow surfaces of the slab by compressing “lower recirculation” and dividing “upper recirculation” of molten steel near submerged entry nozzle, especially at higher feeding strip velocities. Furthermore, there exists the additional cooling effect region of strip feeding in the temperature field of slab, which is caused by the melting of strip and molten/shedded‐strip flow. As feeding strip velocity increases, the cooling effect region moves correspondingly from the vicinity of the narrow surfaces of the slab to the center of slab.
Effects of Nitrogen Flow Rate on the Performances of Cathodic Arc Deposited TiN Films on 316L Stainless Steels as Bipolar Plates for the Proton‐Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell
Authors: Hu Zhiyong , Yuan Li , Luo Hong , Jin Yongzong , Chen Zihao
Published: April 2023

The corrosion resistance, interfacial contact resistance (ICR), and hydrophobicity of cathodic arc deposited TiN films on 316L stainless steels at different nitrogen flow rates as bipolar plates (BPs) for the proton‐exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) are investigated. It is shown in the results that the TiN‐coated 316L stainless steel prepared at a moderate nitrogen flow rate (250 sccm) exhibits a low stable corrosion current density of 6.5 × 10−8 A cm−2 in the simulated corrosive cathode environment of PEMFC, and a low ICR of 8.94 mΩ cm−2 at a pressure of 1.38 MPa after corrosion, meanwhile presents a good hydrophobicity before and after corrosion. These results are discussed by considering the probable effects of the nitrogen flow rate on the substrate/coating system based on the microstructural characterization of the substrate/coating interface and the coating, which shows that the interdiffusion will be started in the deposition process and a moderate nitrogen flow rate during the coating process will promote to the broadening of interface region and lead to the formation of a robust and high‐quality coating with fewer defects that can effectively improve the performances of the 316L stainless steel substrate as the BP for PEMFC.
The Amount Prediction and Optimization of the Returned Ore Generated from Sintering Process Based on SHAP Value and Ensemble Learning
Authors: Zhang Zhen , Tang Jue , Chu Mansheng , Liu Zhenggen , Shi Quan , Wang Mingyu , Li Fumin , Lyu Qing
Published: April 2023

Sintering is the first step of ironmaking. The amount of returned ore is related to the quality of the sinter, yield, and cost of ironmaking. Herein, a novel and interpreted method is proposed to intelligently predict and optimize the amount of returned ore, which is not the case with the traditional “black box” model. The optimal combination of input variables is determined based on the SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) value and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) selection. The model is constructed considering an R2 of 0.91 and average error of 2.9%, which verify its feasibility. Found by SHAP value analysis, when annular cooler speed and sintering machine speed are below 1.7 m min−1, sintering machine speed is below 2.1 m min−1, coal and coke powder amount are more than 14 and 8 t h−1, respectively, and the amount of the returned ore is reduced. In the optimization process, the joint optimization method with regard to the speed of the annular cooler and sintering machine can help solve 91% of the problem of high‐amount ore return, thereby reducing the returned ore amount 13.3 t h−1 at average and the returned ore rate by 1.8–2.7%.
Inhibitive Effect of New Azole‐Azomethine Derivatives on Mild Steel Corrosion in HCl Solution: Electrochemical, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy Studies
Authors: Gaikani Zohreh , Khanmohammadi Hamid , Hassannejad Hossein
Published: April 2023

Two azole‐based Schiff bases, namely, 2‐(((1H‐1,2,4‐triazol‐3‐yl)imino)methyl)‐4‐bromophenol, TIB, and 4‐Bromo‐2‐((thiazol‐2‐ylimino)methyl)phenol, BTP, are synthesized and used as corrosion inhibitors for mild steel, MS, in acidic medium. The inhibitive effect of TIB and BTP, in 0.5 m hydrochloric acid, is investigated using weight loss, potentiodynamic polarization, and electrochemical impedance measurements. The optimum concentrations of TIB and BTP for coverage of metal surface are 600 and 400 μM, respectively. An electrochemical impedance study shows that the corrosion of MS is reduced through a charge transfer mechanism. The maximum inhibition efficiencies at optimum concentration of TIB and BTP are ≈83% and ≈81%, respectively. Tafel polarization reveals that the TIB and BTP behave as mixed‐type inhibitors, predominantly of cathodic type. The results indicate that the MS surface has been blocked by TIB and BTP molecules following the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The formed protective layer on MS surface is verified using SEM and EDX techniques. Furthermore, atomic force microscopic study reveals that the current inhibitors increase the surface smoothness of MS by adsorbing on the metallic surface.
Well‐Designed Highly Conjugated Covalent Organic Frameworks as Light Responsive Oxidase Mimic for Effective Detection of Uric Acid
Authors: Liu Chun-Xiu , Zhou Zi-Wen , Yu Yuan , Wei Yun-Jie , Cai Chun-Xian , Wang Na , Yu Xiao-Qi
Published: April 2023

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are widely used in photocatalysis due to their periodic π–π arrays, high crystallinity, and adjustable bandgap. Herein, a new strategy for integrating polyphenyl building blocks in COFs is presented to improve the photocatalytic efficiency. To implement this strategy, a series of COFs with different numbers of phenyl groups are successfully designed and synthesized. By varying the number of phenyl units in the precursor, the COFs exhibit different bandgaps, band‐edge positions, carrier mobilities, and interfacial transfer resistances. The corresponding characterization reveals that the photocatalytic capacity of COFs increases with the number of phenyls in the basic structural unit. Further, under visible light irradiation, the COFs prepared from 1,3,5‐tris [4‐amino(1,1‐biphenyl‐4‐yl)] benzene (TABB) and 1,4‐benzenedicarboxaldehyde (BDB) (named TABB‐BDB COF) exhibit superior light‐responsive oxidase‐mimicking characteristic, which can catalyze the oxidation of 2,2′‐azino‐bis (3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid) (ABTS). Based on the aforementioned characteristics, TABB‐BDB COF is designed as a robust colorimetric probe for the inexpensive, highly sensitive, and rapid detection of uric acid (UA) with a linear range of 5–160 mg L−1. This study not only demonstrates COFs‐based light‐response oxidase mimicking for efficient UA detection but also provides an intelligent tactic for boosting the photocatalytic competence of COFs.
Internal Electric Field Enhancement by the I‐Rich Surface of Highly Crystallized BiOI Nanosheets for Boosted Photocatalytic Degradation of Phenol
Authors: Wu Zhaohui , Li Wenlu , Xu Jingyi , Jing Jianfang , Li Junshan , Shen Jie , Yang Lu , Feng Wenhui , Zhang Shiying , Zhu Yongfa
Published: April 2023

Although the internal electric field (IEF) of bismuth oxyiodide (BiOI) is acknowledged as a potent driving force for efficient charge separation, enhancing the intensity of IEF remains a challenge. Herein, highly crystalline BiOI nanosheets with I‐rich surface are employed to intensify IEF and direct the charge migration. In comparison to I‐poor BiOI nanosheets, which possess Bi−O layer termination and I‐defects, the I‐rich BiOI demonstrates 62.5‐fold improvement in IEF intensity to its well‐developed high crystalline structure, and its IEF direction is reversed by the surface I‐rich layers. This intensified IEF of I‐rich BiOI induces numerous holes (h+) to migrate to the surface of primary exposed (001) facets and electrons (e−) to the lateral facets efficiently, resulting in efficient charge separation spatially. Additionally, the surface accumulates h+ and superoxide radicals and acts in synergy to enhance the photodegradation of phenol. The photocatalytic activity of the I‐rich BiOI is found to be approximately fivefold and threefold higher than that of I‐poor BiOI under full spectra and visible light, respectively. Herein, the manipulation of IEF through surface and bulk structure regulation of BiOI for efficient charge separation is discussed, expecting to rationally improve photocatalytic performances.
3DWelding – additive Herstellung von Stahlbaukomponenten
Authors: Holzinger Christoph , Peters Stefan , Trummer Andreas
Published: April 2023

In diesem Beitrag werden die Möglichkeiten des robotischen 3D‐Drucks mit Stahl (WAAM – Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing) in der Bauindustrie untersucht. Ziel des Projektteams ist es, ein stabiles und wirtschaftliches Herstellungsverfahren für individuelle Stahlbauelemente zu entwickeln. So wird der Einfluss verschiedener Prozessparameter wie Drahtvorschubgeschwindigkeit und Fahrgeschwindigkeit auf die Nahtform und die Aufbaurate sowie auf die Materialeigenschaften erläutert und für jedes verwendete Material ein Parameterfenster mit stabilen, überprüften Parametersets definiert. Dabei werden drei verschiedene Schweißzusatzwerkstoffe (G 2Si1, G 3Si1, G 4Si1) hinsichtlich ihrer Festigkeit und Steifigkeit geprüft, wobei ein besonderes Augenmerk auf den Fügebereich zwischen Substrat und geschweißter Struktur gelegt wird. Zu diesem Zweck wurden Prüfverfahren zur Prüfung additiv gefertigter Bauteile, insbesondere für die Schubbelastung, neu entwickelt. Als Proof of Concept wird eine exemplarische Anwendung gezeigt und die Tragfähigkeit dieses Anschlusses in unterschiedlichen Konfigurationen untersucht.
Vital rates of a burgeoning population of Humpback Chub in western Grand Canyon
Authors: Dzul Maria , Yackulic Charles B. , Giardina Mariah , Van Haverbeke David R. , Yard Michael
Published: April 2023

Objective

The Colorado River ecosystem has experienced habitat alterations and nonnative species invasions; as a result, many of its native species have had extirpations, abundance declines, and range constrictions. Despite these pitfalls, the Humpback Chub Gila cypha has persisted and in the last 10–15 years has expanded its range to become abundant in western Grand Canyon, a river segment in which it had been rare for the prior three decades. The goal of this study was to evaluate the population dynamics (i.e., growth, survival, movement, abundance) for this “new” group of Humpback Chub.

Methods

We analyzed a 6-year mark–recapture study from a fixed monitoring reach in western Grand Canyon, and we provide the first estimates of survival and growth (vital rates) for these fish. We compared vital rates in western Grand Canyon to those of two life history forms (residents and migrants, representing fast and slow life history trajectories, respectively) from the more established Little Colorado River (LCR) aggregation in eastern Grand Canyon.

Result

Compared to LCR migrants and LCR residents, Humpback Chub in western Grand Canyon had intermediate values for apparent survival, growth, and asymptotic length. Relatively high survival of subadults coupled with fast growth allowed for rapid population growth in western Grand Canyon. However, a large cohort in 2017 failed to lead to noticeable increases in adults. Seasonal survival patterns were distinct in all three groups, and apparent survival was lowest in western Grand Canyon during spring months. Adult Humpback Chub in western Grand Canyon were mobile and had a high probability of transience (i.e., just passing through the reach) and temporary emigration, demonstrating the need for future movement studies in western Grand Canyon to better distinguish emigration from survival.

Conclusion

There is considerable spatial variability in viral rates for Humpback Chub in Grand Canyon. We discuss how observations are related to disparate temperature regimes experienced by the three groups and whether (how) the relationship between metabolism and temperature influences vital rates within the river network.
Evaluating Muskellunge catch-and-release mortality at elevated summer water temperature
Authors: Booth Ian Taylor , Hartman Kyle J. , Crane Derek , Hansbarger Jeff , Weeks Jordan , Henesy Josh , Walsh Heather , Williams Jeff
Published: April 2023

Objective

Fisheries managers and anglers have expressed concerns regarding warmwater angling mortality, representing a need to evaluate mortality rates at various water temperatures and multiple latitudes. Up to 97% of Muskellunge Esox masquinongy caught by anglers are released, and previous research on catch and release (C&R) for Muskellunge has suggested relatively low mortality rates (0–5%). However, those studies were all conducted within the range of water temperatures that are thermally optimal for Muskellunge and generally at water temperatures less than 25°C. As many Muskellunge populations routinely experience temperatures greater than 25°C during the summer months our objective was to quantify warmwater (>25°C) C&R mortality rates in Muskellunge.

Methods

We collected 102 adult Muskellunge (>760 mm) and stocked them into and identify factors influencing mortality by using experimental ponds. Adult Muskellunge (n = 102) were stocked into eight earthen or plastic-lined flow-through ponds (0.06–0.71 ha) at densities less than 16 fish/ha. Muskellunge (n = 50) were angled by utilizing specialized Muskellunge fishing gear at water temperatures of 19.6–32.6°C, with 32 fish being caught at temperatures exceeding 25°C. After being angled, fish were closely monitored for 2 weeks to assess mortality; fish that remained uncaught during the experiment were used as controls (n = 53).

Result

Mortality was greater for angled fish (30.0%) than for control fish (11.3%). Differences in C&R mortality were compared across a range of temperature regimes using Firth logistic regression. Five-day cumulative temperature and net time were positively related to the probability of mortality, but size and sex were unrelated to mortality. Increasing C&R mortality with temperature was mitigated somewhat by lower catch rates at higher temperatures. Mortalities per 100 angler-hours were 0 at <25°C, 4.98 at 25.00–27.49°C, 2.48 at 27.5–30.0°C, and 1.17 at >30°C.

Conclusion

Recent field studies have identified the importance of thermal refuge in mitigating summer C&R mortality of Muskellunge. This study identified specific temperature conditions responsible for elevated mortality in the absence of refugia. Although increasing temperatures above 25°C led to increasing C&R mortality in our ponds, lower catchability seemingly provided some mitigation. The interactive effects of thermal refugia and catch rates with temperature warrant further investigations into population-level effects at varying levels of exploitation.
The influence of income and loss on hunters' attitudes towards wild pigs and their management
Authors: Leivers Samantha J. , Carlisle Keith M. , Connally Rachel L. , Frank Maureen G. , Tomeček John M.
Published: April 2023

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are one of the most pervasive invasive species in North America. Wild pigs pose a threat to crops, livestock, and the environment, but also provide recreational hunting opportunities. There are avenues for some stakeholder groups to generate income from wild pigs, however, stakeholders vary in attitudes towards wild pigs and their management. We investigated whether financial loss and income resulting from wild pigs influenced hunter stakeholder attitudes towards their management in Texas. We examined how land use influenced hunting landowner attitudes towards wild pigs. We analyzed 22,176 responses (8,707 landowners, 13,469 nonlandowners) from Texas hunters to the Texas A&M Human Dimensions of Wild Pigs Survey. Attitudes towards wild pigs varied significantly based on landownership status and whether land was used for agricultural practices. In addition, landowners who received income from wild pigs on their land considered government or agency hunting to be a less acceptable method of control than those who did not generate such income. However, effect sizes for all our results were small (η2 ≤ 0.05, Adj. R2 ≤ 0.09, and McFadden's R2 ≤ 0.07) and, across all groups, attitudes towards wild pigs were negative. Few respondents (3.91% of landowners, 0.56% of non‐landowners) reported generating income from wild pigs, and reported losses were approximately 4 times greater than income.
Existence of a steady flow through a rotating radial turbine with an arbitrarily large inflow and an artificial boundary condition on the outflow
Authors: Neustupa Tomáš
Published: April 2023

We prove the existence of a steady strong solution to the Navier–Stokes‐type problem in a 2D multiply connected domain, modeling a flow of an incompressible viscous fluid through a rotating radial turbine. We consider the inhomogeneous Dirichlet boundary condition on the inflow Γin and an artificial boundary condition of the “do nothing” type on the outflow Γout. The conditions admit an arbitrarily large flux through the turbine. This is, however, compensated by the requirement that the distance between Γout and the profile family is “sufficiently small”. (Theorem 1.1.) The solution is steady in the rotating frame, that is, in the frame, attached to the rotating turbine. As an auxiliary result, we prove that a function, that takes just two different values in a 1D interval on two complementary measurable sets M and of positive 1D measure, is not in . (Lemma 3.4.)
Review, Prospect and Technical Challenge of Launch Vehicle
Authors: Wang Xiaowei , Zhang Feng , Hu Dongsheng , Chen Rong , Song Zhengyu
Published: April 2023

Following six decades of development, the technology of launch vehicle has progressed with respect to the dual action of demand traction and technical promotion, providing increasingly valuable high-tech services for society. Currently, the development of launch vehicle is progressing with respect to stronger capabilities, higher reliability, lowering costs, flexibility, and user convenience. Retrospectively, the global development history of the launch vehicle technology can be roughly categorized into four stages with distinct characteristics of the decades.
Birkhoff Pseudospectral Method and Convex Programming for Trajectory Optimization
Authors: Zhao Dangjun , Zhang Zhiwei , Gui Mingzhen
Published: April 2023

Trajectory optimization, an optimal control problem (OCP) in essence, is an important issue in many engineering applications including space missions, such as orbit insertion of launchers, orbit rescue, formation flying, etc. There exist two kinds of solving methods for OCP, i.e., indirect and direct methods. For some simple OCPs, using the indirect methods can result in analytic solutions, which are not easy to be obtained for complicated systems. Direct methods transcribe an OCPs into a finite-dimensional nonlinear programming (NLP) problem via discretizing the states and the controls at a set of mesh points, which should be carefully designed via compromising the computational burden and the solution accuracy. In general, the larger number of mesh points, the more accurate solution as well as the larger computational cost including CPU time and memory [1]. There are many numerical methods have been developed for the transcription of OCPs, and the most common method is by using Pseudospectral (PS) collocation scheme [2], which is an optimal choice of mesh points in the reason of well-established rules of approximation theory [3]. Actually, there have several mature optimal control toolkits based PS methods, such as DIDO [4], GPOPS [5]. The resulting NLP problem can be solved by the well-known algorithm packages, such as IPOPT [6] or SNOPT [7]. However, these algorithms cannot obtain a solution in polynomial-time, and the resulting solution is locally optimal. Moreover, a good initial guess solution should be provided for complicated problems.
Autonomous Descent Guidance via Sequential Pseudospectral Convex Programming
Authors: Sagliano Marco , Seelbinder David , Theil Stephan
Published: April 2023

This chapter expands our development of an autonomous descent guidance algorithm which is able to deal with both the aerodynamic descent and the powered landing phases of a reusable rocket. The method uses sequential convex optimization applied to a Cartesian representation of the equations of motion, and the transcription is based on the use of hp pseudospectral methods. The major contributions of the formulation are a more systematic exploitation and separation of convex and non-convex contributions to minimize the computation of the latter, the inclusion of highly nonlinear terms represented by aerodynamic accelerations, a complete reformulation of the problem based on the use of Euler angle rates as control means, an improved transcription based on the use of a generalized hp pseudospectral method, and a dedicated formulation of the aerodynamic guidance problem for reusable rockets. The approach is demonstrated for a 40 kN-class reusable rocket. Numerical results confirm that the methodology we propose is very effective and able to satisfy all the constraints acting on the system. It is therefore a valid candidate solution to solve the entire descent phase of reusable rockets in real-time.
Simultaneous Trajectory Optimization for Adaptive Powered Descent
Authors: Wei Zhenyu , Ma Lin , Wang Kexin , Shao Zhijiang
Published: April 2023

The powered descent phase is the terminal phase of the planetary descent and landing mission, where the required direction and magnitude of the thrust engine are determined to steer the spacecraft to meet the pre-determined targeting condition at the end, such as touchdown at the designated landing site with the required velocity [12].
Probing de Sitter from the horizon
Authors: Mirbabayi Mehrdad , Riccardi Flavio
Published: April 2023

Abstract

In a QFT on de Sitter background, one can study correlators between fields pushed to the future and past horizons of a comoving observer. This is a neat probe of the physics in the observer’s causal diamond (known as the static patch). We use this observable to give a generalization of the quasinormal spectrum in interacting theories, and to connect it to the spectral density that appears in the Källén-Lehmann expansion of dS correlators. We also introduce a finite-temperature effective field theory consisting of free bulk fields coupled to a boundary. In matching it to the low frequency expansion of correlators, we find positivity constraints on the EFT parameters following from unitarity.
Behavior of a chiral condensate around astrophysical-mass Schwarschild and Reissner-Nordström black holes
Authors: DeMott Ross , Flournoy Alex
Published: April 2023

Abstract

In this work, we develop a perturbative method to describe the behavior of a chiral condensate around a spherical black hole whose mass is astrophysically realistic. We use the inverse mass as the expansion parameter for our perturbative series. We test this perturbative method in the case of a Schwarzschild black hole, and we find that it agrees well with previous numerical results. For an astrophysical-mass Schwarzschild black hole, the leading order contribution to the condensate is much larger (in most of space) than the next-to-leading order contribution, providing further evidence for the validity of the perturbative approach. The size of the bubble of restored chiral symmetry is directly proportional to the size of the black hole.

Next, we apply this perturbative method to a Reissner-Nordström (RN) black hole. We find that, as the charge-to-mass ratio increases, the bubble of restored chiral symmetry becomes larger relative to the black hole. This effect is particularly pronounced for near-extremal RN black holes. The case of an extremal RN black hole provides an interesting counterexample to the standard thermal explanation for the formation of a bubble of restored chiral symmetry around a black hole.
Revisiting the double-soft asymptotics of one-loop amplitudes in massless QCD
Authors: Czakon Michał , Eschment Felix , Schellenberger Tom
Published: April 2023

Abstract

We evaluate the one-loop soft current for the emission of two soft gluons or a soft quark-anti-quark pair in massless Quantum Chromodynamics. The results are exact in dimensional regularisation up to a single Feynman integral. Two terms of the Taylor series of the latter integral as a function of ϵ ≡ (4 − d)/2 with d the dimension of spacetime are available from a recent calculation of one-loop triple-collinear splitting functions. Our formulae are necessary for the construction of a subtraction scheme for the evaluation of next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order cross sections in massless QCD.
Advancing the scientific study of prehospital mass casualty response through a Translational Science process: the T1 scoping literature review stage
Authors: Weinstein Eric S. , Cuthbertson Joseph L. , Herbert Teri Lynn , Voicescu George T. , Bortolin Michelangelo , Magalini Sabina , Gui Daniele , Helou Mariana , Lennquist Montan Kristina , Montan Carl , Rafalowsky Chaim , Ratto Giuseppe , Damele Stefano , Bazurro Simone , Laist Itamar , Marzi Federica , Borrello Alessandro , Fransvea Pietro , Fidanzio Andrea , Benitez Carlos Yanez , Faccincani Roberto , Ragazzoni Luca , Caviglia Marta
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation funding program awarded the NIGHTINGALE grant to develop a toolkit to support first responders engaged in prehospital (PH) mass casualty incident (MCI) response. To reach the projects’ objectives, the NIGHTINGALE consortium used a Translational Science (TS) process. The present work is the first TS stage (T1) aimed to extract data relevant for the subsequent modified Delphi study (T2) statements.

Methods

The authors were divided into three work groups (WGs) MCI Triage, PH Life Support and Damage Control (PHLSDC), and PH Processes (PHP). Each WG conducted simultaneous literature searches following the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews. Relevant data were extracted from the included articles and indexed using pre-identified PH MCI response themes and subthemes.

Results

The initial search yielded 925 total references to be considered for title and abstract review (MCI Triage 311, PHLSDC 329, PHP 285), then 483 articles for full reference review (MCI Triage 111, PHLSDC 216, PHP 156), and finally 152 articles for the database extraction process (MCI Triage 27, PHLSDC 37, PHP 88). Most frequent subthemes and novel concepts have been identified as a basis for the elaboration of draft statements for the T2 modified Delphi study.

Conclusion

The three simultaneous scoping reviews allowed the extraction of relevant PH MCI subthemes and novel concepts that will enable the NIGHTINGALE consortium to create scientifically anchored statements in the T2 modified Delphi study.
Etablierung gesundheitsfördernder Strukturen in der stationären Langzeitversorgung durch Digitalisierung: Aufruf zu einem Perspektivwechsel
Authors: Fischer Florian , Endter Cordula
Published: April 2023

Die Digitalisierung nimmt im Bereich der Gesundheitsförderung und Prävention einen immer höheren Stellenwert ein. Gleichzeitig hat das Präventionsgesetz zu einer Stärkung von Interventionen der Gesundheitsförderung und Prävention in Settings beigetragen. In einem lebenswelt- bzw. settingorientierten Ansatz werden Maßnahmen der Prävention und Gesundheitsförderung sowohl auf das Verhalten als auch die Verhältnisse ausgerichtet. Obwohl im Setting der „Arbeitswelt“ in den vergangenen Jahren der Einsatz eines digitalen betrieblichen Gesundheitsmanagements zugenommen hat, werden die Potenziale der Digitalisierung nur unzureichend genutzt. Dies gilt insbesondere für die Gesundheitsförderung und Prävention bei Pflegefachkräften.

Daher wird in diesem Diskussionsbeitrag der Fokus auf Gesundheitsförderung und Prävention in Einrichtungen der stationären Langzeitpflege gelegt. Da die strukturierte Implementierung digitaler Applikationen in Pflegeeinrichtungen eine Innovation innerhalb der Organisation darstellt, könnte dieses Momentum dazu genutzt werden, zugleich Strukturen und Prozesse gesundheitsförderlich zu gestalten. Dabei wird die Gesundheitsförderung durch Digitalisierung als organisationale Aufgabe mit einer bedarfssensiblen und diversitätsorientierten Ausrichtung verstanden. Somit kann die Digitalisierung ein Vehikel darstellen, um die Etablierung gesundheitsfördernder Einrichtungen in der Langzeitpflege substanziell voranzubringen.
Green electrochemical polishing of EBM Ti6Al4V samples with preliminary fatigue results
Authors: Acquesta Annalisa , Monetta Tullio , Franchitti Stefania , Borrelli Rosario , Viscusi Antonio , Perna Alessia Serena , Penta Francesco , Esposito Luca , Carrino Luigi
Published: April 2023

Additive manufacturing technologies have several well-known advantages; however, the surface quality of the printed parts is poor, compromising the corrosion and mechanical properties. Thus, surface finishing treatments are necessary. The most post-processing treatments proposed in the literature are mechanical or chemical. The formers are contact techniques and cannot be suitable for complex geometry, while the latter use strong and dangerous reagents. This paper is aimed to investigate the effect of the electropolishing treatment, a contactless technique, using an eco-friendly electrolytic solution in reducing the roughness and improving the fatigue properties of Ti6Al4V specimens produced by electron beam melting technology. Several parameters affecting the effectiveness of the electropolishing treatment have been investigated, as interelectrode distance, stirring rate and duration time. An optimal combination of them allowed a uniform surface treatment and a significant roughness reduction (64% of Sa reduction for cylindrical specimens). Under sinusoidal loading conditions with a maximum stress of 378 MPa and a stress ratio equal to R = 0.1, the mean fatigue life of electropolished dog-bone specimens was 250% longer than that of as-built specimens.
A simple planning problem for COVID-19 lockdown: a dynamic programming approach
Authors: Calvia Alessandro , Gozzi Fausto , Lippi Francesco , Zanco Giovanni
Published: April 2023

A large number of recent studies consider a compartmental SIR model to study optimal control policies aimed at containing the diffusion of COVID-19 while minimizing the economic costs of preventive measures. Such problems are non-convex and standard results need not to hold. We use a Dynamic Programming approach and prove some continuity properties of the value function of the associated optimization problem. We study the corresponding Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation and show that the value function solves it in the viscosity sense. Finally, we discuss some optimality conditions. Our paper represents a first contribution towards a complete analysis of non-convex dynamic optimization problems, within a Dynamic Programming approach.
Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with flow modulator coupled via tube plasma ionization to an atmospheric pressure high-resolution mass spectrometer for the analysis of vermouth volatile profile
Authors: Ayala-Cabrera Juan F. , Montero Lidia , Sahlabji Taher , Schmitz Oliver J.
Published: April 2023

The analysis of complex samples is a big analytical challenge due to the vast number of compounds present in these samples as well as the influence matrix components could cause in the methodology. In this way, comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC × GC–MS) is a very powerful tool to achieve the characterization of complex samples. Nevertheless, due to possible coelutions occurring in these matrices, mixed spectra are generally obtained with electron ionization (EI) which could extremely complicate the identification of the analytes. Thereby, new methodology setups are required to improve the confidence on the identification in non-targeted determinations. Here, we present a high-throughput methodology consisting of GC × GC with flow modulation coupled to high-resolution atmospheric pressure mass spectrometry (HRMS) via a novel tube plasma ion source (TPI). The flow modulator allows to easily automate the GC × GC method compared to traditional cryo-modulators, while the soft ionization provided by TPI helps to preserve the [M]+• or [M+H]+ ions, thus increasing the confidence in the identification. Additionally, the combination of a flow modulation with an atmospheric pressure mass spectrometer significantly improves the sensitivity over flow modulated GC × GC-EI-MS methods because no split is required. This methodology was applied to the analysis of a complex sample such as vermouth where the volatile profile is usually considered by consumers as a product quality indicator since it raises the first sensations produced during its consumption. Using this approach, different classes of compounds were tentatively identified in the sample, including monoterpenes, terpenoids, sesquiterpenoids and carboxylic acid, and carboxylate esters among others, showing the great potential of a GC × GC-TPI-qTOF-MS platform for improving the confidence of the identifications in non-targeted applications.
Detection of viral antibodies in camel sera using magnetic particle spectroscopy
Authors: Friedrich Bernhard , Vogel Patrick , Rückert Martin A. , Lyer Stefan , Günther Johanna , Wernery Ulrich , Joseph Sunitha , Müller Judith , Behr Volker C. , Alexiou Christoph , Tietze Rainer
Published: April 2023

Pandemics like SARS-Cov-2 very frequently have their origin in different animals and in particular herds of camels could be a source of zoonotic diseases. This study took advantage on a highly sensitive and adaptable method for the fast and reliable detection of viral antibodies in camels using low-cost equipment. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) have high variability in their functionalization with different peptides and proteins. We confirm that 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES)-coated MNP could be functionalized with viral proteins. The protein loading could be confirmed by simple loading controls using FACS-analysis (p < 0.05). Complementary combination of antigen and antibody yields in a significant signal increase could be proven by both FACS and COMPASS. However, COMPASS needs only a few seconds for the measurement. In COMPASS, the phase φn on selected critical point of the fifth higher harmonic (n = 5th). Here, positive sera display highly significant signal increase over the control or negative sera. Furthermore, a clear distinction could be made in antibody detection as an immune response to closely related viruses (SARS-CoV2 and MERS). Using modified MNPs along with COMPASS offers a fast and reliable method that is less cost intensive than current technologies and offers the possibility to be quickly adapted in case of new occurring viral infections.

Key points

• COMPASS (critical offset magnetic particle spectroscopy) allows the fast detection of antibodies.

• Magnetic nanoparticles can be adapted by exchange of the linked bait molecule.

• Antibodies could be detected in camel sera without washing steps within seconds.
Imaging and photodynamic therapy of prostate cancer using a theranostic PSMA-targeting ligand
Authors: Derks Yvonne H. W. , Schilham Melline G. M. , Rijpkema Mark , Smeets Esther M. M. , Amatdjais-Groenen Helene I. V. , Kip Annemarie , van Lith Sanne A. M. , van de Kamp Jill , Sedelaar J. P. Michiel , Somford Diederik M. , Simons Michiel , Laverman Peter , Gotthardt Martin , Löwik Dennis W. P. M. , Heskamp Sandra , Lütje Susanne
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Incomplete resection of prostate cancer (PCa) results in increased risk of disease recurrence. Combined fluorescence-guided surgery with tumor-targeted photodynamic therapy (tPDT) may help to achieve complete tumor eradication. We developed a prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) ligand consisting of a DOTA chelator for 111In labeling and a fluorophore/photosensitizer IRDye700DX (PSMA-N064). We evaluated the efficacy of PSMA-tPDT using PSMA-N064 in cell viability assays, a mouse xenograft model and in an ex vivo incubation study on fresh human PCa tissue.

Methods

In vitro, therapeutic efficacy of PSMA-N064 was evaluated using PSMA-positive LS174T cells and LS174T wild-type cells. In vivo, PSMA-N064-mediated tPDT was tested in immunodeficient BALB/c mice-bearing PSMA-positive LS174T xenografts. Tumor growth and survival were compared to control mice that received either NIR light or ligand injection only. Ex vivo tPDT efficacy was evaluated in excised fresh human PCa tissue incubated with PSMA-N064.

Results

In vitro, tPDT led to a PSMA-specific light- and ligand dose-dependent loss in cell viability. In vivo, tPDT-induced tumor cell apoptosis, delayed tumor growth, and significantly improved survival (p = 0.004) of the treated PSMA-positive tumor-bearing mice compared with the controls. In fresh ex vivo human PCa tissue, apoptosis was significantly increased in PSMA-tPDT-treated samples compared to non-treated control samples (p = 0.037).

Conclusion

This study showed the feasibility of PSMA-N064-mediated tPDT in cell assays, a xenograft model and excised fresh human PCa tissue. This paves the way to investigate the impact of in vivo PSMA-tPDT on surgical outcome in PCa patients.
Multiple social benefits drive the formation of mixed-species groups of Australian humpback and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins
Authors: Syme Jonathan , Kiszka Jeremy J. , Parra Guido J.
Published: April 2023

Mixed-species groups are common amongst diverse taxa including fishes, birds, and mammals. Antipredator, foraging, and social benefits have been proposed as functional explanations for mixed-species group formation. Amongst delphinids, mixed-species groups are widespread, but little is known about their function. To investigate the potential benefits of delphinid mixed-species groups, we compared the number of individuals, the age composition, and the behaviour of single- and mixed-species sightings of Australian humpback (Sousa sahulensis) and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) observed around the North West Cape, Western Australia. We found no difference in the number of individuals or the age composition of humpback dolphins present in single- and mixed-species sightings, whereas bottlenose dolphins were present in larger numbers in single-species sightings than in mixed-species sightings due to a higher number of adults. Socialising was the initial observed behavioural state of 36.1% of mixed-species sightings, compared to only 5.1% and 10.3% of humpback and bottlenose dolphin single-species sightings, respectively. Furthermore, both species travelled and foraged less frequently when in mixed-species groups. Of 93 mixed-species groups observed during a focal follow of ≥ 10 min, 32 (34.4%) involved aggressive and/or sexual behaviours typically initiated by bottlenose dolphins towards humpback dolphins while the remaining 61 (65.6%) involved only neutral and affiliative behaviours. The results of this study suggest that the observed mixed-species groups provide multiple social benefits, particularly those pertaining to socio-sexual behaviours and the development and care of young.

Significance statement

Numerous species of dolphin are known to form mixed-species groups. Few studies have, however, investigated the antipredator, foraging, and/or social benefits that these species may gain by grouping with other species. Investigating these benefits is key to understanding the impacts of mixed-species groups on the species and individuals involved. We evaluated the potential functions of mixed-species groups of two sympatric, inshore dolphin species — the Australian humpback dolphin and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin. We found that both species engage in socialising behaviour more frequently when in mixed-species groups and that they engage in a diverse variety of interspecific behavioural interactions. Our results not only indicate that social benefits are the key drivers of these mixed-species groups, but they also highlight the complexity of social interactions between dolphin species.
Aging-related volume changes in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid using artificial intelligence-automated segmentation
Authors: Yamada Shigeki , Otani Tomohiro , Ii Satoshi , Kawano Hiroto , Nozaki Kazuhiko , Wada Shigeo , Oshima Marie , Watanabe Yoshiyuki
Published: April 2023

Objectives

To verify the reliability of the volumes automatically segmented using a new artificial intelligence (AI)-based application and evaluate changes in the brain and CSF volume with healthy aging.

Methods

The intracranial spaces were automatically segmented in the 21 brain subregions and 5 CSF subregions using the AI-based application on the 3D T1-weighted images in healthy volunteers aged > 20 years. Additionally, the automatically segmented volumes of the total ventricles and subarachnoid spaces were compared with the manually segmented volumes of those extracted from 3D T2-weighted images using the intra-class correlation and Bland–Altman analysis.

Results

In this study, 133 healthy volunteers aged 21–92 years were included. The mean intra-class correlations between the automatically and manually segmented volumes of the total ventricles and subarachnoid spaces were 0.986 and 0.882, respectively. The increase in the CSF volume was estimated to be approximately 30 mL (2%) per decade from 265 mL (18.7%) in the 20s to 488 mL (33.7%) in ages above 80 years; however, the increase in the volume of total ventricles was approximately 20 mL (< 2%) until the 60s and increased in ages above 60 years.

Conclusions

This study confirmed the reliability of the CSF volumes using the AI-based auto-segmentation application. The intracranial CSF volume increased linearly because of the brain volume reduction with aging; however, the ventricular volume did not change until the age of 60 years and above and then gradually increased. This finding could help elucidate the pathogenesis of chronic hydrocephalus in adults.

Key Points

• The brain and CSF spaces were automatically segmented using an artificial intelligence-based application.

• The total subarachnoid spaces increased linearly with aging, whereas the total ventricle volume was around 20 mL (< 2%) until the 60s and increased in ages above 60 years.

• The cortical gray matter gradually decreases with aging, whereas the subcortical gray matter maintains its volume, and the cerebral white matter increases slightly until the 40s and begins to decrease from the 50s.
The rete mirabile: a possible control site for swimbladder function
Authors: Pelster Bernd
Published: April 2023

In a recent study, a large number of transport proteins was detected in the transcriptome and proteome of saline perfused rete mirabile tissue of the European eel. In this study, the data set was reanalyzed for the presence of receptor proteins and proteins involved in intracellular signaling pathways. A large number of expressed receptor proteins and proteins involved in intracellular signal transduction was detected. Several G-protein-coupled receptor signal pathways were significantly enriched in their expression level, in particular receptors and signaling pathways involved in the control of blood flow. The enriched signaling pathways also include pathways involved in trafficking of crucial transport proteins like, monocarboxylate transporters, V-ATPase, and aquaporin. The data, therefore, suggest that the rete mirabile has the capacity to control swimbladder function by regulating blood flow and by modifying countercurrent multiplication.
Near-boundary error reduction with an optimized weighted Dirichlet–Neumann boundary condition for stochastic PDE-based Gaussian random field generators
Authors: Ricketts Evan John , Cleall Peter John , Jefferson Tony , Kerfriden Pierre , Lyons Paul
Published: April 2023

Random field generation through the solution of stochastic partial differential equations is a computationally inexpensive method of introducing spatial variability into numerical analyses. This is particularly important in systems where material heterogeneity has influence over the response to certain stimuli. Whilst it is a convenient method, spurious values arise in the near boundary of the domain due to the non-exact nature of the specific boundary condition applied. This change in the correlation structure can amplify or dampen the system response in the near-boundary region depending on the chosen boundary condition, and can lead to inconsistencies in the overall behaviour of the system. In this study, a weighted Dirichlet–Neumann boundary condition is proposed as a way of controlling the resulting structure in the near-boundary region. The condition relies on a weighting parameter which scales the application to have a more dominant Dirichlet or Neumann component, giving a closer approximation to the true correlation structure of the Matérn autocorrelation function on which the formulation is based on. Two weighting coefficients are proposed and optimal values of the weighting parameter are provided. Through parametric investigation, the weighted Dirichlet–Neumann approach is shown to yield more consistent correlation structures than the common boundary conditions applied in the current literature. We also propose a relationship between the weighting parameter and the desired length-scale parameter of the field such that the optimal value can be chosen for a given problem.
Road scenes segmentation across different domains by disentangling latent representations
Authors: Barbato Francesco , Michieli Umberto , Toldo Marco , Zanuttigh Pietro
Published: April 2023

Deep learning models obtain impressive accuracy in road scene understanding; however, they need a large number of labeled samples for their training. Additionally, such models do not generalize well to environments where the statistical properties of data do not perfectly match those of training scenes, and this can be a significant problem for intelligent vehicles. Hence, domain adaptation approaches have been introduced to transfer knowledge acquired on a label-abundant source domain to a related label-scarce target domain. In this work, we design and carefully analyze multiple latent space-shaping regularization strategies that work together to reduce the domain shift. More in detail, we devise a feature clustering strategy to increase domain alignment, a feature perpendicularity constraint to space apart features belonging to different semantic classes, including those not present in the current batch, and a feature norm alignment strategy to separate active and inactive channels. In addition, we propose a novel evaluation metric to capture the relative performance of an adapted model with respect to supervised training. We validate our framework in driving scenarios, considering both synthetic-to-real and real-to-real adaptation, outperforming previous feature-level state-of-the-art methods on multiple road scenes benchmarks.