bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A comprehensive map of preferentially located motifs reveals distinct proximal cis-regulatory sequences in plants
Authors: Rozière Julien , Guichard Cécile , Brunaud Véronique , Martin Marie-Laure , Coursol Sylvie
Published: October 2022

Identification of cis-regulatory sequences controlling gene expression is an arduous challenge that is being actively explored to discover key genetic factors responsible for traits of agronomic interest. Here, we used a genome-wide de novo approach to investigate preferentially located motifs (PLMs) in the proximal cis-regulatory landscape of Arabidopsis thaliana and Zea mays. We report three groups of PLMs in both the 5’- and 3’-gene-proximal regions and emphasize conserved PLMs in both species, particularly in the 3’-gene-proximal region. Comparison with resources from transcription factor and microRNA binding sites shows that 79% of the identified PLMs are unassigned, although some are supported by MNase-defined cistrome occupancy analysis. Enrichment analyses further reveal that unassigned PLMs provide functional predictions that differ from those derived from transcription factor and microRNA binding sites. Our study provides a comprehensive map of PLMs and demonstrates their potential utility for future characterization of orphan genes in plants.
ESG performance, auditing quality, and investment efficiency: Empirical evidence from China
Authors: Wang Wenbing , Yu Yanyan , Li Xuan
Published: October 2022

Dramatic changes in the business environment have created demands for additional information such as management discussions, governance information, and financial statement notes that go beyond the coverage of traditional financial reporting. Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) information can help gain stakeholder trust, reduce transaction costs, and improve investment efficiency. Taking Chinese A-share listed companies from 2011 to 2020 as a sample, we run fixed effect regressions to test the effect of ESG performance on investment efficiency. ESG performance is measured with the ESG score from the Bloomberg database. The results show that (a) good ESG performance significantly improves investment efficiency, (b) auditing quality partially mediates the relationship between ESG performance and investment efficiency, and (c) the role of ESG performance is stronger in non-state-owned enterprises, undeveloped regions, and firms with low accounting information quality. This paper contributes to the literature on ESG performance and provides references for ESG practice and sustainable corporate development in emerging countries.
Construction of artificial intelligence-assisted English learning resource query system
Authors: Yao Wenjing , Li Ning
Published: October 2022

English has become an important tool for China's opening to the outside world and exchanges with other countries. More and more people have the motivation and requirements to learn English, but under the traditional English learning mode and traditional teaching mode, the cultivation of learners' autonomous learning habits is ignored. This article aims to study the construction of artificial intelligence-assisted English learning resource query system and establish the relevant feedback mechanism of retrieval. This article applies this mechanism to the retrieval of learning resources, so as to provide learners with the learning resources they really need and improve learners' learning efficiency. This article proposes to find the relevant knowledge points by extracting the knowledge points of the retrieval content. It realizes the query expansion based on knowledge and then realizes the expansion of retrieval results. It realizes the mapping of knowledge points on the retrieval content, the query and expansion of knowledge points, and the presentation of learning resources of the knowledge point index. It also uses the relevant feedback mechanism to adjust the retrieval results to meet the retrieval needs of learners. The experimental results show that the number of knowledge points can be increased to 2–4 times by query expansion based on English resources. Thus, the number of learning resources of search results can be increased to 3–10 times, the expansion of search results can be realized, and the overall recall will be greatly improved. In this article, the related methods of artificial intelligence are applied to the construction experiment of the English learning resource query system, which has a certain promotion effect on the construction of the system.
The influence mechanism of source experience of the knowledge on the knowledge transfer performance: The role of political skill and knowledge barriers
Authors: Lee Shih-Liang , Hung Tsang-Kai , Tian Mu
Published: October 2022

Exploring the relationship between characteristics of the source of knowledge and knowledge transfer performance seems to be crucial in order to make up for the lack of research on the political skills of knowledge sources in the process of knowledge transfer. For this reason, this study conducts a paired-sample questionnaire survey to achieve the research purpose. One direct supervisor was paired with 1∼4 subordinates; 274 other-reported questionnaires were sent out to supervisors and 1,096 self-reported questionnaires to subordinates. A total of 214 valid supervisor questionnaires and 630 valid subordinate questionnaires were collected. The finding demonstrates that knowledge sources with political skills can reduce knowledge barriers to knowledge transfer as well as affect knowledge transfer performance. This research presents a valid model that comprises the antecedents (characteristics of the knowledge source), mediators (knowledge barriers), moderators (political skill), and consequences of knowledge transfer performance of firms. Moreover, this study provides several meaningful directions for future research.
An exploration and description of experiences of at-risk youth in a correctional center in Eswatini regarding a resilience intervention program
Authors: Shabangu Sifiso B. , Koen Vicki
Published: October 2022

Resilience-focused programs advocate nurturing positive adoptive traits to inform prevention and intervention efforts. Considering that no resilience intervention programs have been developed specifically for at-risk youth in correctional centers in Eswatini, the authors developed a program with this focus through a combination of literature review and earlier empirical research with correctional officers and youth in a correctional center in Eswatini. This study aimed to evaluate the program through exploration and description of experiences of at-risk youth in a correctional center in Eswatini regarding the program. A purposive sample of 16 youths in a correctional center in Eswatini participated in a World Café, and data were analyzed thematically. Three themes were identified: Positive outcomes of participation, challenges encountered in the program, and recommendations for the program.
Personal protective equipment-associated headaches in health care workers during COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Sahebi Ali , Hasheminejad Naser , Shohani Masoumeh , Yousefi Atefeh , Tahernejad Somayeh , Tahernejad Azadeh
Published: October 2022

Introduction

Health Care Workers (HCWs) use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic to protect themselves and prevent the transmission of the disease. The use of PPE, especially respiratory masks, has adverse consequences, including headaches, which have been secondary and unusual. The aim of the present systematic review and meta-analysis study was to investigate the prevalence of PPE-associated headaches in HCWs during COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

The present review study was performed based on the PRISMA guideline. The protocol of the present study was registered in PROSPERO with the code CRD42022304437. Valid data resources such as Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Embase were used to identify and extract relevant studies. The searches were conducted between the beginning of 2020 and the end of January 2022. A random effects model was used for meta-analysis andI2index was used to investigate between-study heterogeneity. Data were analyzed using STATA ver. 14.

Results

A total of 539 articles were first identified through initial search and finally 26 final studies were selected to undergo the meta-analysis phase. According to the results of meta-analysis, the prevalence of headache after and before the use of PPE was 48.27% (95% CI: 40.20–56.34,I2= 99.3%,p= 0 < 001) and 30.47% (95% CI: 20.47–40.47,I2= 97.3%,p= 0 < 001), respectively.

Conclusion

The results of the present study showed that the prevalence of PPE-associated headache in HCWs was relatively high, so, the use of PPE during COVID-19 pandemic can be considered as one of the causes of headache. Therefore, management strategies such as regular screening of HCWs for headaches and regular rest periods without the use of PPE can be effective in reducing the prevalence of headaches.
Self-loading microfluidic platform with ultra-thin nanoporous membrane for organ-on-chip by wafer-level processing
Authors: Tang Bo , Bendas Sebastian , Krajka Victor , May Tobias , Moritz Anke , Constantinou Iordania , Reichl Stephan , Dietzel Andreas
Published: October 2022

Embedded porous membranes are a key element of various organ-on-chip systems. The widely used commercial polymer membranes impose limits with regard to chip integration and thinness. We report a microfluidic chip platform with the key element of a monolithically integrated, ultra-thin (700 nm) nanoporous membrane made of ultra-low-stress (<35 MPa) SixNy for culturing and testing reconstructed tissue. The membrane is designed to support various in vitro tissues including co-cultures and to allow passage of molecules but not of cells. A digital laser write method was used to produce nanopores with deterministic but highly flexible positioning within the membrane. A thin layer of photoresist was exposed by accumulation of femtosecond pulses for local two-photon polymerization, which allowed nanopores as small as 350 nm in diameter to be generated through the membranes in a subsequent plasma etch process. The fabricated membranes were used to separate a microfluidic chip into two compartments, which are connected to the outside by microchannel structures. With unique side inlets for fluids, all cells are exposed to identical flow velocities and shear stresses. With the hydrophilic nature of chip materials the self-loading seeding is controlled bottom-up by capillary forces, which makes the seeding procedure homogeneous and less dependent on the operator. The chip is designed to allow fabrication by wafer-level MEMS manufacturing technologies without critical assembly steps, thereby promoting reproducibility and scale-up of fabrication. In order to establish a fully functional test system to be used in a lab incubator, a holder for the bare chip was designed and 3D-printed with additional elements for gravity driven pumping. In order to mimic physiological conditions, the holder was designed to provide not only media delivery but also appropriate shear stress to the tissue. To prove usability, murine microvascular endothelial cells (muMEC) were seeded on the membrane within the chip. Cell compatibility was confirmed after 3 days of dynamic cultivation using fluorescence live/dead assays. Cultivation proved to be reproducible and led to confluent layers with cells preferentially grown on nanoporous areas. The system can in future be cost effectively manufactured in larger quantities in MEMS foundries and can be used for a wide variety of in vitro tissues and test scenarios including pumpless operation within cell incubator cabinets.
Hemodynamic effect of pimobendan following intramuscular and intravenous administration in healthy dogs: A pilot study
Authors: Enokizono Masayuki , Mandour Ahmed S. , Komeda Syunta , Goya Seijirow , Takeuchi Aki , Katoh Konosuke , Yairo Akira , Yilmaz Zeki , Shimada Kazumi , Tanaka Ryou
Published: October 2022

Background

Pimobendan is widely used for the treatment of dogs with heart failure via the oral route. A new injectable form of pimobendan is now available and its potential usefulness via intravenous route has been recently demonstrated in dogs. However, the cardiovascular effects of intramuscular (IM) administration of injectable pimobendan have not been investigated yet.

Hypothesis

IM administration of pimobendan may have the same hemodynamic effect as the IV route.

Methods

Six healthy Beagle dogs underwent a placebo-controlled double-blind crossover study. The early cardiovascular effects after a single dose of IM and IV injections of pimobendan (0.2 ml/kg; Pimo IM and Pimo IV, respectively) were compared to the same volume of IM placebo (Saline IM) in anesthetized dogs. Clinical [heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP)] and echocardiographic hemodynamic parameters [left ventricular (LV) inflow waveforms of diastolic early wave (eV), atrial systolic wave (aV), diastolic early mitral ring velocity (e′), peak velocity (pV), stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO), and systemic vascular resistance (SVR)] were monitored with 15 min intervals for 120 min.

Results

Diastolic BP decreased significantly at 30 min in Pimo IM compared to Saline IM. Mean eV and CO values significantly increased from 75 min, e′ from 60 min, pV from 75 min, and SV from 15 to 120 min, whereas SVR significantly decreased at 30–60 min in Pimo IM compared to those of Saline IM (P < 0.05). Compared with the Pimo IV, eV and pV were significantly lower at 30–60 min (P < 0.05) while SV was significantly higher at 90–105 min in Pimo IM (P < 0.05). Other hemodynamic parameters (BP, HR, SVR, CO, e′, and E/e′) did not significantly change between Pimo IM and IV.

Conclusions

The hemodynamic effect of pimobendan following IM and IV injection was described. Our results suggested that IM administration of pimobendan is equally comparable and possibly interchangeable with IV administration. This warrant further studies to investigate the clinical effectiveness of IM pimobendan in treating dogs with congestive heart failure or in heart failure cases unable to receive IV or oral administration.
Environmental enrichment improves the growth rate, behavioral and physiological response of juveniles of Clarias gariepinus under laboratory conditions
Authors: Ojelade Oluwaseun Christianah , Durosaro Samuel Olutunde , Akinde Abiodun O. , Abdulraheem Ikililu , Oladepo Mathew B. , Sopein Comfort A. , Bhadmus Abiodun S. , Olateju Mary
Published: October 2022

Environmental enrichment (EE) improves the growth rate and welfare of some cultured fishes. However, most cultured fish species are raised in non-enriched housing conditions.Clarias gariepinusis an important commercial fish species, but little is known about the effect of EE on their welfare. This study examined the effect of different EE on the survival rate (SR), growth [mean weight gain (MWG), specific growth rate (SGR) and feed conversion ratio (FCR)], behavioral (feed response, aggressive acts and shoaling time) and physiological responses (blood glucose) ofC. gariepinus. One hundredand twenty juveniles ofC. gariepinus(31.65 ± 0.69 g) were randomly allocated at 10 fish/tank and subjected to either Plant Enriched (PE), Substratum Enriched (SE), Plant and Substratum Enriched (PSE) and Non-Enriched (NE) tanks in triplicates for 56-days. Behavioral acts were observed for 10 min twice daily, and glucose level in blood samples was evaluated. Data were checked for normality using the Shapiro-Wilk test before being analyzed with the Kruskal-Wallis test. SR and MWG were significantly higher inClarias gariepinusexposed to SE, with no significant differences among PE, PSE and NE treatments. There was no significant difference between the SGR of PSE and NE. FCR was similar between treatments. The highest condition factor (k) was recorded in SE tanks. Duration of feed response was shorter in SE, but there was no significant difference between the feed response ofC. gariepinusexposed to PE and PSE.C. gariepinusexposed to PE, SE and PSE displayed a similar frequency of aggressive acts. African catfish reared in NE (barren) tanks had the least duration of shoaling period. The experiment consistently found the highest and least glucose values in PSE and SE. In conclusion, environmentally enriched housing tanks with SE resulted in the best MWG with a reduced level of aggression inC. gariepinusunder laboratory conditions. Thus, EE might be applicable to boost fish productivity on a commercial scale.
Dynamic and Thermal Investigations of the Forward Dry-Friction Whirl/Whip of a Vertical Rotor-AMB System during Touchdowns
Authors: Li Zilin , Lyu Mindong , Yang Guojun , Zhao Jingjing , Wang Yuming , Wang Zixi
Published: October 2022

When an active magnetic bearing (AMB) rotor drops, it impacts the touchdown bearing (TDB) and produces friction on its surface. The vertical AMB rotor has no stable support in the radial direction, and the rotor exhibits a violent whirl motion in the gap of the TDB. In this study, a complete dynamic and thermal model of the AMB-rotor-TDB system was established, and the complete drop process was simulated. When the rotor dropped, it obtained stable support after several bounces on the thrust surface of the TDB inner ring in the axial direction. In the radial direction, the rotor entered whirl motion after the initial collisions. There is a natural whirl frequency so that the drop forward whirl is divided into the dry-friction whirl and whip states. The contact force and heat generation of the TDB were monitored in the simulation and had different performancs in the two states. Both the initial collisions and the stabilized whirl motions were studied to evaluate the reliability of the TDB. Finally, a series of drop tests were performed, and the experimental results were in good agreement with the simulation.
Applications of Nanotechnology-Based Agrochemicals in Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture: An Overview
Authors: Khan Fahad , Pandey Pratibha , Upadhyay Tarun Kumar
Published: October 2022

Sustainable agriculture is crucial for stimulating both developing and developed countries. Agriculture needs modernization and innovation to meet the increasing demands of food for the growing global population and to maintain environmental sustainability simultaneously. Nanotechnology has gained wider attention in food safety improvement and environment protection by augmenting the efficacy of agricultural inputs and giving potent solutions to agricultural issues for improving food security and productivity. Modern agricultural practices have been found to be associated with the degradation of the environment, ecosystems, and land due to agricultural pollution. Our review provides a detailed insight into the recent developments in nanotechnology-based agrochemicals which have transformed the agriculture sector with better plant growth, crop yields, nano-facilitated soil remediation, and identifying environmental contaminants. The incorporation of nanoscale bioagrochemicals such as nano-pesticides, nano-fertilizers, nanoformulations, and nanosensors in agriculture has revolutionized the traditional agro-practices making them more sustainable, ingenious, and environmentally efficient. Furthermore, we also list recently explored nanotechnology-based agrochemicals including nanocomposites that have significantly overcome the crucial issues associated with food packaging and agricultural sustainability. However, further research is still warranted to study their migration in food products and their environmental implications. Altogether, this review will be highly beneficial for future researchers to understand and exploit the potential of nanomaterials for better food security and sustainable agriculture.
Spherical Interpretation of Infiltration from Trickle Irrigation
Authors: Ben-Asher Jiftah , Volynski Roman , Gulko Natalya
Published: October 2022

The hypothesis of this paper is that infiltration into drip irrigated soils can be described by simple spherical considerations as well as two dimensional (2D) numerical modeling. The major goal was to test a very simple model based on geometry of a sphere formulas, and compare it with elaborated numerical solutions and field experiments. Detailed analysis of soil–water infiltration under trickle regimes is shown to be pre-requisite in the search for the optimal design of system layout. Optimality and simplicity are sought by modeling a sphere for subsurface trickle/drip (SDI) and hemisphere (DI) pattern of moisture distributions during infiltration. Numerical simulations by MATLAB software were used to describe the distribution of soil water. The data produced by this simulation were successfully compared with analytical models and numerical results of Panoche clay loam. To simulate the four discharge rates (0.5, 1, 2, 3 Lh) under DI and SDI we used the input of Panoche soil properties, i.e., hydraulic conductivity function (Kθ) and soil water retention curve (ψθ). The resulting regression equation of numerical analysis (N) vs. spherical interpretation (S) was N = 0.97 × S − 19.1; r2 = 0.98. This result exposes the novelty of the approach by showing that infiltration from a drip/trickle source can be described by simple spherical radial symmetry in addition to analytical or numerical simulations. An example of a design parameter for 3000 cm3h suggested more emitters per meter laterals for SDI than for DI (100 vs. 77 unites, respectively) due to the shorter distance between SDI emitters that are required in order to maintain wetting continuity. At a discharge of around 500 cm3h of three different soils’ SDI, positive pressure was detected near the orifice and it caused discharge reduction. This is a self-compensating property of SDI that regulates individual emitters according to the soil hydraulic properties. In conclusion SDI is associated with larger capital investment compared to DI, but it can be compensated by improving the water use efficiency due to increased productivity while reducing losses of water through evaporation, but this option should be investigated as part of specific research.
The Epidemiology and Control of “Olive Quick Decline Syndrome” in Salento (Apulia, Italy)
Authors: Scortichini Marco
Published: October 2022

Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca sequence type 53 was found to be associated with olive trees showing extensive twig and branch dieback and plant death in the Gallipoli area of Salento and the common name of “olive quick decline syndrome” (OQDS) was given to the disease. Repeated interceptions in Europe and Italy of ornamental coffee plants originated from Central America, jointly in phylogenetic analyses of many strains of the pathogen, indicated this origin as the most probable source of its introduction in Salento. Drought events could have been conducive to the initial outbreaks of the disease. Subsequently, the pathogen largely spread over the territory according to a “stratified dispersal” model. The high susceptibility of the local cultivars Ogliarola salentina and Cellina di Nardò, a low soil content of zinc, copper, and manganese, improper pruning, and adverse climatic events could have further contributed to the spread of the pathogen. The polyphagous insect Philaenus spumarius L. is the main vector of the bacterium in the area. The adults were detected X. f. subsp. pauca-positive in early May, and their incidence was higher during spring and early autumn when they efficiently spread the bacterium among the olive trees. Many other host plant species can host the bacterium, and some of them can act as a “reservoir” for the disease spread. The aggressive fungus Neofusicoccum mediterraneum Crous, M.J. Wingf. And A.J.L. Philips, could also be involved in OQDS. A sustainable control strategy for reducing the incidence and severity of X. f. subsp. pauca in the olive groves of Salento that allows the trees to produce is presented and discussed. Resilient trees of Ogliarola salentina and Cellina di Nardò have been observed in the heavily infected areas of Salento.
Evaluation of the Use of Oregano and Coconut Hydrolates to Improve Onion Seed Quality
Authors: Rosińska Agnieszka
Published: October 2022

Onion seeds are often contaminated by pathogenic fungi, such as Botrytis spp., Fusarium spp., which decrease seed quality. The usage of hydrolates is an alternative method to chemical treatment, and is safe for the natural environment, human health and life. The aim of the experiment was the determination of the effect of treatment with oregano and coconut hydrolates on the quality of onion seeds. Germination, vigour and seed health of two samples of onion seeds were tested. Seed germination was evaluated according to ISTA Rules, seed health by agar test and vigour by seed speed and uniformity of germination. Seeds were treated with hydrolate solutions at concentrations of 10, 20, 50 and 100%; untreated seeds and seeds soaking in water and treated with fungicide were control. Generally, the use of hydrolates improved the germination capacity at first and final count for both analyzed samples. After treating with hydrolate solutions, less abnormal diseased seedlings were also observed. Higher concentrations of hydrolates were effective in the limitation of the incidence of fungi A. alternata, Cladosporium spp. and Fusarium spp., either by complete elimination or a reduction of their presence on the seeds.
Genetic Structure of the Ca Rater Mallorquí Dog Breed Inferred by Microsatellite Markers
Authors: García Lourdes Sofía Aguilera , Vergara Amado Manuel Canales , Herrera Pedro Zurita , Puente José Manuel Alanzor , Barro Águeda Laura Pons , Dunner Susana , Marques Carlos San José , Bermejo Juan Vicente Delgado , Martínez Amparo Martínez
Published: October 2022

Ca Rater Mallorquí is a dog breed from the Island of Mallorca (Spain) traditionally used as a hunting and ratting dog to prevent disease spread and economic losses related to rodent activities on farms. However, the census data shows a population decline that should be addressed by implementing a conservation program. The first step to implementing a conservation plan is knowing the genetic situation of the Ca Rater Mallorquí population. Therefore, we aimed to genetically characterise the breed in our study. We analysed 33 microsatellites recommended by the International Society of Animal Genetics (ISAG) in 77 samples. Data were obtained from 13 samples of Balearic, Spanish, and international dog breeds to study the genetic diversity among breeds. The population did not significantly deviate from the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium with heterozygosity (Ho) of 0.655 and expected heterozygosity (He) of 0.685. The Wright’s fixation indices, the Factorial Correspondence Analysis (FCA), a dendrogram representing Reynolds genetic distance between populations, and the pairwise FST values establish the Ca Rater Mallorquí as an independent breed distinct from the Balearic, Spanish, and international breeds.
A Proposal for a Classification Guiding the Selection of Appropriate Antibiotic Therapy for Intra-Abdominal Infections
Authors: Sartelli Massimo , Cristini Francesco , Coccolini Federico , Labricciosa Francesco Maria , Siquini Walter , Catena Fausto
Published: October 2022

Adequately controlling the source of infection and prescribing appropriately antibiotic therapy are the cornerstones of the management of patients with intra-abdominal infections (IAIs). Correctly classifying patients with IAIs is crucial to assessing the severity of their clinical condition and deciding the strategy of the treatment, including a correct empiric antibiotic therapy. Best practices in prescribing antibiotics may impact patient outcomes and the cost of treatment, as well as the risk of “opportunistic” infections such as Clostridioides difficile infection and the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance. This review aims to identify a correct classification of IAIs, guiding clinicians in the selection of the best antibiotic therapy in patients with IAIs.
2-Methoxyestradiol Damages DNA in Glioblastoma Cells by Regulating nNOS and Heat Shock Proteins
Authors: Bastian Paulina Emilia , Daca Agnieszka , Płoska Agata , Kuban-Jankowska Alicja , Kalinowski Leszek , Gorska-Ponikowska Magdalena
Published: October 2022

Gliomas are the most prevalent primary tumors of the central nervous system (CNS), accounting for over fifty percent of all primary intracranial neoplasms. Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most prevalent form of malignant glioma and is often incurable. The main distinguishing trait of GBM is the presence of hypoxic regions accompanied by enhanced angiogenesis. 2-Methoxyestradiol (2-ME) is a well-established antiangiogenic and antiproliferative drug. In current clinical studies, 2-ME, known as Panzem, was examined for breast, ovarian, prostate, and multiple myeloma. The SW1088 grade III glioma cell line was treated with pharmacological and physiological doses of 2-ME. The induction of apoptosis and necrosis, oxidative stress, cell cycle arrest, and mitochondrial membrane potential were established by flow cytometry. Confocal microscopy was used to detect DNA damage. The Western blot technique determined the level of nitric oxide synthase and heat shock proteins. Here, for the first time, 2-ME is shown to induce nitro-oxidative stress with the concomitant modulation of heat shock proteins (HSPs) in the SW1088 grade III glioma cell line. Crucial therapeutic strategies for GMB should address both cell proliferation and angiogenesis, and due to the above, 2-ME seems to be a perfect candidate for GBM therapy.
Gradient Boosting over Linguistic-Pattern-Structured Trees for Learning Protein–Protein Interaction in the Biomedical Literature
Authors: Warikoo Neha , Chang Yung-Chun , Ma Shang-Pin
Published: October 2022

Protein-based studies contribute significantly to gathering functional information about biological systems; therefore, the protein–protein interaction detection task is one of the most researched topics in the biomedical literature. To this end, many state-of-the-art systems using syntactic tree kernels (TK) and deep learning have been developed. However, these models are computationally complex and have limited learning interpretability. In this paper, we introduce a linguistic-pattern-representation-based Gradient-Tree Boosting model, i.e., LpGBoost. It uses linguistic patterns to optimize and generate semantically relevant representation vectors for learning over the gradient-tree boosting. The patterns are learned via unsupervised modeling by clustering invariant semantic features. These linguistic representations are semi-interpretable with rich semantic knowledge, and owing to their shallow representation, they are also computationally less expensive. Our experiments with six protein–protein interaction (PPI) corpora demonstrate that LpGBoost outperforms the SOTA tree-kernel models, as well as the CNN-based interaction detection studies for BioInfer and AIMed corpora.
Automatic Pressure Gelation Analysis for Insulating Spacer of Gas Insulated Switchgear Manufactured by Bio-Based Epoxy Composite
Authors: Lee Chanyong , Bae Jaesung , Noh Yohan , Cho Han-Goo , Hong Young-Gi , Jee Hongsub , Lee Jaehyeong
Published: October 2022

In the case of the existing power equipment business, a variety of insulation and accessories is manufactured with petroleum-based epoxy resins. However, as petrochemical resources are gradually limited and concerns about the environment and economy grow, the power equipment industry has recently studied many insulating materials using bio-based epoxy to replace petroleum feedstock-based products in order to produce insulators using eco-friendly materials. In this paper, the simulation of the automatic pressure gelation process was performed by obtaining parameter values of curing kinetics and chemical rheology through physical properties analysis of bio-based epoxy complexes and applying them to Moldflow software. The simulation results were compared and analyzed according to the temperature control of each heater in the mold, while considering the total curing time, epoxy flow, and curing condition. A temperature condition of 140 °C/140 °C/135 °C/135 °C/130 °C/130 °C/120 °C/120 °C provided the optimal curing conditions. Based on the temperature conditions of the simulation results, the actual GIS spacer was manufactured, and x-ray inspection was performed to check the moldability.
Drug-Food Interactions with a Focus on Mediterranean Diet
Authors: Spanakis Marios , Patelarou Evridiki , Patelarou Athina
Published: October 2022

There is a growing interest among people in western countries for adoption of healthier lifestyle habits and diet behaviors with one of the most known ones to be Mediterranean diet (Med-D). Med-D is linked with daily consumption of food products such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seafood, beans, nuts, olive oil, low-fat food derivatives and limited consumption of meat or full fat food products. Med-D is well-known to promote well-being and lower the risk of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. On the other hand bioactive constituents in foods may interfere with drugs’ pharmacological mechanisms, modulating the clinical outcome leading to drug-food interactions (DFIs). This review discusses current evidence for food products that are included within the Med-Dand available scientific data suggest a potential contribution in DFIs with impact on therapeutic outcome. Most cases refer to potential modulation of drugs’ absorption and metabolism such as foods’ impact on drugs’ carrier-mediated transport and enzymatic metabolism as well as potential synergistic or antagonistic effects that enhance or reduce the pharmacological effect for some drugs. Adherence to Med-D can improve disease management and overall well-being, but specific foods should be consumed with caution so as to not hinder therapy outcome. Proper patient education and consultation from healthcare providers is important to avoid any conflicts and side effects due to clinically significant DFIs.
Study on Quantitative Expression of Cycling Workload
Authors: Qu Shangwen , Wang Ronghua , Hu Jiangbi , Yang Li
Published: October 2022

Improper design of the geometric elements and facilities of bikeway systems could endanger cyclists’ safety and comfort, resulting in an increased risk of bicycle accidents; such accidents sometimes have severe consequences, namely casualties. The method of expression for cyclists’ safety and comfort and the question of how the correlation of these factors with bikeway characteristics—such as the design of geometry and facilities—can be quantitatively described are the key problems facing a reduction in accident risk. Cycling workload can be employed to assess cyclists’ safety and comfort. However, there has been little quantitative expression research on this topic, with no clear definition of cycling workload. The quantitative expression of cycling workload is important for developing guidance for the safe design and operational management of bikeways; this is necessary for controlling conditions that might induce overworking and discomfort among users. In this paper, the concept of cycling workload is clearly defined based on cyclists’ comfort and safety formation mechanisms. Through a literature review and a comparative analysis, it is inferred that heart rate variability (HRV) can be used as a quantitative measure and the low-frequency–high-frequency ratio (LF/HF) can be used as a physiological signal to quantify cycling workload. A subjective scale was found to effectively express cyclists’ feelings of safety and comfort, with the performance assessed according to a human factor engineering research paradigm that classified cycling status into three qualitative levels—comfortable; a little stressful; and stressful. In order to form various cycling workload states and to obtain the relationship between LF/HF data and various bikeway characteristics, we designed a field cycling experiment. This was conducted by 24 participants who wore a physiological measuring apparatus under three different bikeway characteristic scenario types including variations in cycling width, direction, and bikeway edges at four cycling speeds in the 10–25 km/h range. Statistical analysis was used to address the collected LF/HF values and the subjective scale results, and a quantitative model for assessing cycling workload was established. By adopting a classification and regression tree (CART) algorithm as a data-mining method, the classification threshold values (ΔHRV) of three cycling workload levels were obtained: 19 indicated a level between comfortable and a little stressful; and 79 indicated a level between a little stressful and stressful.
Influence of Ion Implantation on the Wear and Lifetime of Circular Saw Blades in Industrial Production of Wooden Door Frames
Authors: Wilkowski Jacek , Barlak Marek , Kwidziński Zdzisław , Wilczyński Adam , Filipczuk Piotr , Pędzik Marta , Drewczyński Marcin , Zagórski Jerzy , Staszkiewicz Bogdan , Rogoziński Tomasz
Published: October 2022

The paper presents the effect of nitrogen ion implantation on tool wear and tool life during the sawing of wood-based materials in the industrial production of door frames. The circular saw blades used in machining had WC-Co carbide teeth. Saw teeth were modified by ion implantation. The total implanted dose of nitrogen ions was 5 × 1017 cm−2 (2 × 2.5 × 1017 cm−2) and ions were implanted at 50 kV acceleration voltage. Tool wear testing was carried out under industrial production conditions for the door frames made of wood-based materials. The wear of circular saw teeth was evaluated under an optical microscope. Based on the tool’s wear and machining distance, a mathematical linear model of the non-treated and ion-implanted tools’ life was developed using the linear least squares method. The study showed less wear of the implanted circular saw blades and a significant increase in the estimated lifetime of modified tools compared to non-treated (control) tools. At the same time, activation of the surface of the implanted circular saw teeth was observed, manifested by an increase in adhesion and the appearance of the secondary structures on the WC-Co surface.
Energy Ratio Variation-Based Structural Damage Detection Using Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Wu Chuan-Sheng , Peng Yang-Xia , Zhuo De-Bing , Zhang Jian-Qiang , Ren Wei , Feng Zhen-Yang
Published: October 2022

In the field of structural health monitoring (SHM), with the mature development of artificial intelligence, deep learning-based structural damage identification techniques have attracted wide attention. In this paper, the convolutional neural network (CNN) is used to extract the damage feature of simple supported steel beams. Firstly, the transient dynamic analysis of the steel beam is carried out by finite element software, and the acceleration response signals under different damage scenarios are obtained. Then, the acceleration response signal is decomposed by wavelet packet decomposition (WPD) to extract the wavelet packet band energy ratio variation (ERV) index as the training sample of CNN. Subsequently, the vibration experiment of a simple supported steel beam was carried out, and the results were compared with the numerical simulation results. The characteristic indexes were obtained by making corresponding changes to the vibration signal, and then, the experimental data were input into the CNN to predict the effect of damage detection. The results show that the method can successfully detect the intact structure, single damage, and multiple damages with an accuracy of 95.14% under impact load, and the performance is better than that of support vector machine (SVM), with good robustness.
An Intelligent Real-Time Object Detection System on Drones
Authors: Chen Chao , Min Hongrui , Peng Yi , Yang Yongkui , Wang Zheng
Published: October 2022

Drones have been widely used in everyday life and they can help deal with various tasks, including photography, searching, and surveillance. Nonetheless, it is difficult for drones to perform customized online real-time object detection. In this study, we propose an intelligent real-time object detection system for drones. It is composed of an FPGA and a drone. A neural-network (NN) engine is designed on the FPGA for NN model acceleration. The FPGA receives activation data from an NN model, which are assembled into the data stream. Multiple fetch and jump pointers catch required activation values from the data stream, which are then filtered and sent to each thread independently. To accelerate processing speed, multiple processing elements (PEs) deal with tasks in parallel by using multiple weights and threads. The image data are transferred from the drone host to the FPGA, which are tackled with high speed by the NN engine. The NN engine results are returned to the host, which is used to adjust the flying route accordingly. Experimental results reveal that our proposed FPGA design well utilizes FPGA computing resources with 81.56% DSP and 72.80% LUT utilization rates, respectively. By using the Yolov3-tiny model for fast object detection, our system can detect objects at the speed of 8 frames per second and achieves a much lower power consumption compared to state-of-the-art methods. More importantly, the intelligent object detection techniques provide more pixels for the target of interest and they can increase the detection confidence score from 0.74 to 0.90 and from 0.70 to 0.84 for persons and cars, respectively.
Helichrysum arenarium: From Cultivation to Application
Authors: Dănăilă-Guidea Silvana Mihaela , Eremia Mihaela Carmen , Dinu Laura Dorina , Miu Dana-Maria
Published: October 2022

Helichrysum arenarium (L.) Moench, belonging to the Asteraceae family, is known in traditional medicine for its diuretic, choleretic, and anti-inflammatory properties. This review focuses on the superiority of Helichrysum arenarium (sandy everlasting) over other known plants as a source of active pharmacological compounds used in complementary medicine to prevent digestive and hepatobiliary illnesses. Because the species exists both in spontaneous flora and in crops, this article highlights the development of a controlled culture of H. arenarium, following the reproducible quality of the plant as a biological material. The diversity of phytocompounds, especially well-characterized flavonoid extracts, and the differences between extraction procedures are discussed. Antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal activities against human pathogens proved by different plant extracts and their mechanisms of action are analyzed. This study aims to contribute to the insufficient knowledge regarding the effects of Helichrysum species and to reveal that their extracts can be a valuable source for new active pharmaceutical ingredients.
Holographic Optical Tweezers: Techniques and Biomedical Applications
Authors: Chen Hui-Chi , Cheng Chau-Jern
Published: October 2022

Holographic optical tweezers (HOT) is a programmable technique used for manipulation of microsized samples. In combination with computer-generation holography (CGH), a spatial light modulator reshapes the light distribution within the focal area of the optical tweezers. HOT can be used to realize real-time multiple-point manipulation in fluid, and this is useful in biological research. In this article, we summarize the HOT technique, discuss its recent developments, and present an overview of its biological applications.
Horizontal Active Noise Control Based on Wave Field Reproduction Using a Single Circular Array in 3D Space
Authors: Ha Sangwoo , Kim Jungwoo , Kim Hyun-guk , Wang Semyung
Published: October 2022

In this paper, we propose horizontal active noise control (ANC) using two-dimensional wave field information alone. By reducing the control space to a horizontal plane, the number of microphones and speakers was considerably reduced compared with ANC systems using three-dimensional wave field information. The radii of the reference, microphone, and loudspeaker array were determined based on the wave field reproduction error. Accordingly, the simulation and experimental results of the proposed ANC system were presented based on the use of five microphones and loudspeakers using conventional ANC algorithms. Overall, an average noise reduction of 20 dB was observed inside the microphone array with a radius of 0.5 m for tonal noise at 200 Hz. This performance is acceptable with a drastically reduced number of microphones and speakers. The findings of this study, along with further research conducted in a reverberant room, represent a significant contribution to global ANC commercialization.
GOR, the Group of Revolutionary Objects: Praxis and Research
Authors: Pais Filipe , Porry Olivain
Published: October 2022

GOR stands for Groupe des Objets Revolutionaires, or, in English, the Group of Revolutionary Objects. This group was founded by Filipe Pais, Julie Brugier and Olivain Porry in 2018, in reaction to two major planetary concerns: the climate crisis and techno-solutionism. GOR, in response, opens a fictional design space for debate and aesthetic manifestations, wherein objects and machines are given autonomy, and the possibility of disobeying whilst challenging human decisions. This article is a statement about GOR’s motivations, practice and research, written by two of the group members. In addition to further introducing the GOR manifesto and the forces which have given rise to it, it reviews its artistic practices and actions conducted during art residencies and group exhibitions; it identifies two examples of how the GOR design space can yield interesting clues in research, introducing the notion of super-object and an artistic framework named COCO2.
Incremental Evaluation Model for the Analysis of Indoor Air Measurements
Authors: Schmohl Andreas , Buschhaus Michael , Norrefeldt Victor , Johann Sabine , Burdack-Freitag Andrea , Scherer Christian R. , Vega Garcia Pablo A. , Schwitalla Christoph
Published: October 2022

The investigation of the cleaning effectiveness of air cleaners under realistic conditions is challenging. Mathematical models are needed to extract characteristic properties of the air cleaning system from experimental data. An incremental evaluation model based on a source term and a total first-order loss coefficient in each segment was developed to analyze indoor particle measurements. The application of the model is demonstrated using two scenarios, one in a well-mixed testing room and another in a fully equipped aircraft cabin at 750 hPa with a typical aircraft ventilation system. In the first scenario, a normalized version of the model is used to eliminate the source’s influence. For the investigation in the aircraft cabin, the model served to extract temporal and spatial resolved source terms and first-order loss coefficients. The incremental evaluation model is applicable to enhance the certification of air cleaners. The application of the model is not only limited to particles; measurements of gaseous compounds like ozone, carbon dioxide, or volatile organic compounds can be evaluated analogously. The model’s utility for the data analysis of experiments with complex flow conditions should be studied in further investigations.