bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding the Importance of Reviving the Forgotten and Marginalised Khoisan Indigenous Music in South Africa: A Content Analysis
Authors: Yende Sakhiseni Joseph
Published: June 2024

Framed within the Sociomusicology Theory, this article argued that through the revival of Khoisan indigenous music, South Africa can promote social cohesion, bridging gaps between different ethnic groups and creating a more inclusive society. The Khoisan people, also known as Bushmen or San, are one of the oldest indigenous groups in Africa, and their music is an integral part of their identity and history. However, Khoisan indigenous music in South Africa has been forgotten and marginalised. This can be attributed to various factors including colonialism. In recent years, there has been a quest for revitalising the overlooked and marginalised Khoisan indigenous music in South Africa. Notwithstanding, minimal attention has been given to reviving the forgotten and marginalised Khoisan indigenous music in South Africa and this has become a matter of great concern. This article thus sought to understand the importance of reviving the forgotten and marginalised Khoisan indigenous music in South Africa. In this article, a qualitative content analysis was employed to successfully analyse the purpose of this paper. The findings demonstrated that the extinction of Khoisan indigenous music is attributed to various historical, social, and cultural factors, including colonialism, cultural assimilation, and modernisation. The paper concluded by affirming that the Khoisan indigenous music holds a deep cultural significance for the Khoisan people and South Africa as a whole. It serves as a potent vehicle for the expression and preservation of their great connection to nature, spiritual beliefs, and rich cultural history.

Keywords: Culture, Extinction, Khoisan Indigenous Music, Marginalised, Sociomusicology Theory
Du passage des cultures aux identités plurielles: bandes dessinées et romans graphiques sino-francophones
Authors: Bernard Jean-Baptiste
Published: June 2024

The field of graphic narratives linked to the Chinese cultural sphere is developing significantly in the francophone world. This movement is due to the translation of Chinese creators into French, francophone creators travelling to China, sinophone creators deciding to live in a francophone country or francophone creators of Chinese origins. This article is an introduction to this diverse and dynamic phenomenon, through a presentation of some trends in translation, then in graphic travelogues in China and finally the specific contributions of some creators. Among them, Chen Jiang Hong shares with his francophone readership Chinese pictural arts as much as his memories of the Cultural Revolution. Li-Chin Lin, a Taiwanese creator living in France, exposes in French the challenges of a personal itinerary constantly facing contradictory political ideologies. Finally, Kei Lam opens a path for francophone creations of artists with a sinophone background where the challenges of multiculturality stimulate a joyful reinvention of both self-identity and social togetherness.
 
RÉSUMÉ
Jean-Baptiste Bernard trace, dans cet article, le passage des cultures aux identités plurielles révélé dans des romans graphiques et des bandes dessinées sino-francophones. Il prend note du fait que le champ de ces ouvrages liés au monde chinois connaît un important développement dans le monde francophone. Auteurs chinois traduits en français, auteurs francophones voyageant en Chine, auteurs de pays sinophones décidant de vivre dans un pays francophone ou auteurs francophones d’origine chinoise en sont autant d’acteurs. Il propose une introduction à ce phénomène dynamique et transculturel à travers une présentation des tendances éditoriales en général, puis de certains auteurs en particulier. À titre d’exemple, Chen Jiang Hong, auteur et illustrateur d’albums pour la jeunesse, transmet aussi bien la culture traditionnelle de la Chine que l’histoire qui l’a mené à vivre en France. Li-Chin Lin, originaire de Taiwan, explore en français les défis du devenir individuel sans cesse confronté aux discours politiques, ceux du Parti communiste et du Kuomintang comme des libéraux européens. Enfin, Kei Lam inaugure une création francophone d’auteurs issus de l’immigration chinoise où les défis de la multiculturalité stimulent une réinvention heureuse du soi et du vivre-ensemble.
 
English title: From Intercultural Relations to Plural Identities: Sino-Francophone Graphic Narratives
HIP 65426 is a High-frequency Delta Scuti Pulsator in Plausible Spin–Orbit Alignment with its Directly Imaged Exoplanet
Authors: Sepulveda Aldo G. , Huber Daniel , Bedding Timothy R. , Hey Daniel R. , Murphy Simon J. , Zhang Zhoujian , Liu Michael C.
Published: June 2024

HIP 65426 hosts a young giant planet that has become the first exoplanet directly imaged with JWST. Using time-series photometry from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), we classify HIP 65426 as a high-frequency δ Scuti pulsator with a possible large-frequency separation of Δν = 7.23 ± 0.02 cycles day−1. We check the TESS data for pulsation-timing variations and use the nondetection to estimate a 95% dynamical mass upper limit of 12.8 M
Jup for HIP 65426 b. We also identify a low-frequency region of signal that we interpret as stellar latitudinal differential rotation with two rapid periods of 7.85 ± 0.08 hr and 6.67 ± 0.04 hr. We use our TESS rotation periods together with published values of radius and

v
sin
i

to jointly measure the inclination of HIP 65426 to

i

⋆

=

107

−
11

+
12

°. Our stellar inclination is consistent with the orbital inclination of HIP 65426 b (

108

−
3

+
6

°) at the 68% percent level based on our orbit fit using published relative astrometry. The lack of significant evidence for spin–orbit misalignment in the HIP 65426 system supports an emerging trend consistent with preferential alignment between imaged long-period giant planets and their host stars.
Complex Network View of the Sun’s Magnetic Patches. I. Identification
Authors: Tajik Zahra , Farhang Nastaran , Safari Hossein , Wheatland Michael S.
Published: June 2024

Solar and stellar magnetic patches (i.e., magnetic fluxes that reach the surface from the interior) are believed to be the primary sources of a star’s atmospheric conditions. Here, we apply the complex network approach and investigate its efficacy in the identification of these features. For this purpose, we use the line-of-sight magnetograms provided by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory. We construct the magnetic network following a specific visibility graph condition between pairs of pixels with opposite polarities and search for possible links between these regions. The complex network facilitates the construction of node degrees and PageRank images, and applying the downhill algorithm to node-degree images allows for the grouping of pixels into features corresponding to one-to-one matches with magnetogram patches. This approach promisingly serves to identify the nontrivial morphological structure of the magnetic patches for small and large sizes. We observe that the changes in the features of the node-degree images effectively correspond to the cospatial magnetic patches over time. Through visual assessment, we estimate an average false-negative error rate of approximately 1% in identifying small-scale features (one or two pixels in size).
New records for the Helius Lepeletier & Serville fauna (Diptera, Limoniidae) of China
Authors: Lv Hanhuiying , Xu Yuanyuan , Zhao Yufei , Lin Kejian , Zhang Xiao
Published: June 2024

The genus Helius Lepeletier & Serville, 1828 is globally distributed with 232 species and subspecies, of which 25 have been known to occur in China. Amongst the Chinese Helius crane flies, 24 species are distributed in southern China. The species diversity of Helius in other Chinese regions may be severely underestimated due to a lack of investigation. Some investigations on crane flies in Inner Mongolia, China have been initiated by the authors together with other entomologists, with Helius being one of the key targets of attention.

Two Helius species, H. (Helius) flavus (Walker, 1856) and H. (H.) gracillimus Alexander, 1938, are added to the Chinese fauna. The two newly-recorded species also represent the first records of the crane fly tribe Elephantomyiini in Inner Mongolia. Re-descriptions and illustrations of the two newly-recorded species are presented.
A BERT-GRU Model for Measuring the Similarity of Arabic Text
Authors: Saidi Rakia , Jarray Fethi , Schwab Didier
Published: June 2024

Semantic Textual Similarity (STS) aims to assess the semantic similarity between two pieces of text. As a challenging task in natural language processing, various approaches for STS in high-resource languages, such as English, have been proposed. In this paper, we are concerned with STS in low resource languages such as Arabic. A baseline approach for STS is based on vector embedding of the input text and application of similarity metric on the embedding space. In this contribution, we propose a cross-encoder neural network (Cross-BERT-GRU) to handle semantic similarity of Arabic sentences that benefits from both the strong contextual understanding of BERT and the sequential modeling capabilities of GRU. The architecture begins by inputting the BERT word embeddings for each word into a GRU cell to model long-term dependencies. Then, max pooling and average pooling are applied to the hidden outputs of the GRU cell, serving as the sentence -pair encoder. Finally, a softmax layer is utilized to predict the degree of similarity. The experiment results show a Spearman correlation coefficient of around 0.9 and that Cross-BERT-GRU outperforms the other BERT models in predicting the semantic textual similarity of Arabic sentences. The experimentation results also indicate that the performance improves by integrating data augmentation techniques.
MediaPipe with GNN for Human Activity Recognition
Authors: Jlidi Nozha , Kouni Sameh , Jemai Olfa , Bouchrika Tahani
Published: June 2024

Human interaction and computer vision converge in the realm of Human Activity Recognition (HAR), which is a research field dedicated to the creation of automated systems capable of observing and categorizing human activities. This domain closely aligns with machine learning, involving the development of algorithms and models adept at learning to recognize and classify patterns within data. HAR typically unfolds in two pivotal phases: data acquisition and processing, followed by activity classification. In the initial phase of data acquisition and processing, information is gathered from various sensors or video sources, such as accelerometers, smartphones, or smartwatches. Subsequently, the collected data undergo preprocessing to extract relevant features. The subsequent phase, activity classification, employs machine learning algorithms to categorize these extracted features into distinct activity types, ranging from walking and running to sitting. This paper introduces an innovative approach grounded on these two fundamental phases. For the first phase, we leverage the MediaPipe algorithm to discern human articulations. Once these poses are detected, we contribute by extracting the coordinates of each articulation. These coordinates are then transformed into graphs, where nodes signify the articulation coordinates and edges represent the connections between them. In the second phase, we enhance existing methodologies by incorporating a diverse set of machine learning models. Notably, the utilization of Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) which stands out as a significant advancement. This choice proves instrumental in effectively learning and representing complex spatial and temporal patterns, surpassing the limi-tations of conventional machine learning algorithms. The developed system undergoes evaluation on the KTH and UCF50 datasets, demonstrating state-of-the-art performance in HAR.
Three new species of Oocyclus Sharp, 1882, with additional records from China (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae, Laccobiini)
Authors: Jia Feng-long , Mai Zu-qi
Published: June 2024

Three new species of the water scavenger beetle genus Oocyclus Sharp, 1882 from China (Oocyclus extensussp. nov., from Xizang, O. latiorificialissp. nov. and O. ximaensissp. nov. from Yunnan) are described and illustrated in detail. Additional faunistic data, illustrations of habitus and male genitalia, and a key to Chinese species are provided.
Notes on the genus Elegansovella Hirschmann, 1989 (Acari, Mesostigmata, Urodinychidae)
Authors: Kontschán Jenő , Ermilov Sergey G. , Friedrich Stefan
Published: June 2024

The genus Elegansovella Hirschmann, 1989 (Mesostigmata: Uropodina: Urodinychidae) is resurrected for species of the Uroobovella elegans-group. This genus differs from the other taxa of Uroobovella Berlese, 1903 sensu lato based on the shape of the idiosoma and the caudal and dorsal setae. Three species from the Uroobovella elegans-group are transferred to the genus Elegansovella, as E. pectintata (Hirschmann, 1973), comb. nov., E. pectinatasimilis (Hiramatsu, 1980), comb. nov. and E. serangensis (Hiramatsu, 1980), comb. nov. The other seven species from this species group are transferred to Monstrobovellagen. nov., as M. crustosa (Vitzthum, 1926), comb. nov., M. enodis (Hiramatsu, 1985), comb. nov., M. faceta (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1978), comb. nov., M. facetaoides (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1978), comb. nov., M. imadatei (Hiramatsu, 1980), comb. nov., M. incerta (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1978), comb. nov. and M. incertaoides (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1978), comb. nov. The new genus differs from Elegansovella by the shape of the idiosoma and the shape of marginal and dorsal setae. Six Monstrobovella species occur in the Oriental Realm and only one species is known from the Neotropical region. The present paper contains the description of a second Neotropical species of Monstrobovella (M. mancocapacisp. nov.) which was found in Peru. The new species differs from its Neotropical congener in the dorsal and marginal setation.
Prediction of minimum wages for countries with random forests and neural networks
Authors: Ki Matthew , Shang Junfeng
Published: June 2024

Minimum wages reflect and relate to many economic indexes and factors, and therefore is of importance to mark the developmental stage of a country. Among the 195 countries in the world, a handful of them do not have a regulated minimum wage mandated by their governments. People debate as to the advantages and disadvantages of imposing a mandatory minimum wage. It is of interest to predict what these minimum wages should be for the selected nations with none. To predict the minimum wages, motivations vary with the specific country. For example, many of these nations are members of the European Union, and there has been pressure from this organization to impose a mandatory minimum wage. Open and publicly available data from Excel Geography are employed to predict the minimum wages. We utilize many different models to predict minimum wages, and the random forest and neural network methods perform the best in terms of their validation mean squared errors. Both of these methods are nonlinear, which indicates that the relationship between the features and minimum wage exhibits some nonlinearity trends that are captured in these methods. For the method of random forests, we also compute 95% confidence intervals on each prediction to show the confidence range for the estimation.
El esperpento como relato identitario en ¡Que viva México! de Luis Estrada
Authors: Gutiérrez Emiliano Coello
Published: June 2024

Luis Estrada est devenu, avec ses compatriotes et collègues Alexandro González Iñárritu, Guillermo del Toro et Alfonso Cuarón, l’un des quatre réalisateurs mexicains les plus connus au niveau international. L’œuvre d’Estrada se caractérise par une enquête sur la situation de son pays des années 1940 à nos jours, dans ce que l’on appelle sa « pentalogie », dont fait partie le film ¡Que viva México! défini par l’auteur lui-même comme un esperpento. Cette vision grotesque du monde est intéressante non seulement pour son aspect esthétique, mais aussi pour sa dimension historique, sociale, politique et morale.
Impact of Green Spaces on Workplace Stress: Insights from  Software Companies in Colombo,  Sri Lanka
Authors: Galappaththi H. G. S. S. , Hettiarachchi A. A. H
Published: June 2024

Workplace stress is a common issue that can cause a range of debilitating health outcomes including depression, anxiety, cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal problems, or alcohol dependence of workers affecting their satisfaction, work efficiency and productivity. It was hypothesized that exposure to green spaces can reduce stress levels leading to workplace satisfaction due to the restorative effects of Nature. Literature establishes that a regular touch with Nature is required to reduce workplace stress while maintaining a balanced mental health.  This field investigation tested stress levels after Exposure to Nature as a strategy to reduce stress at the workplace. It employed a case study method selecting three software companies in Sri Lanka. C1, C2, C3 were selected based on the existing levels of greenery with high, moderate, and low density of greenery, respectively. An online questionnaire survey was conducted with three volunteer groups of employees to test the level of Nature-contact, perceived stress, and satisfaction of employees.   The study revealed a direct association between the density of greenery vs stress levels and satisfaction of employees. Respondents of C1 were less stressed (88%) and more satisfied (80%) with their job compared to the other two cases. Respondents of C3 were the most stressed (57%) and least satisfied (71%). 94% out of the total respondents perceived that exposure to green spaces increased perceived work efficiency via maintaining mental health (27% agreed, 67% strongly agreed). The study recommends increasing the level of exposure to Nature to boost satisfaction and work efficiency of employees in companies of Sri Lanka.
An unusual presentation of lupus tumidus mimicking cutaneous lymphoma
Authors: De Z. Rajakaruna G. K. , Danthanarayana A. S. , Fernando W. K. B. A. , Akarawita J. , Sathgurunathan K.
Published: June 2024

No abstract available
ALX4-related frontonasal dysplasia sequence presenting with alopecia in a 12 year old girl
Authors: Seneviwickrama K. L. P. D. , Lekamge S. K. P. , Gunathilake H. M. P.
Published: June 2024

Children with alopecia are frequently encountered in paediatric dermatological practice. Common causes include alopecia areata, and telogen effluvium. Herein we report a case of alopecia in a 12 year old girl as a part of ALX4-related frontonasal dysplasia (FND) sequence for its rarity.
Association of severe Raynaud’s phenomenon with psoriasis – a rare manifestation
Authors: Ekanayake E. M. C. B. , Shopana S. , Gunawardena N. , Udagedara C.
Published: June 2024

Raynaud’s phenomenon defines the clinical consequence of recurrent vasospasm of the small arteries, arterioles, and arteriovenous shunts of the fingers and toes provoked by cold and emotional stress. Other acral parts, such as the nose, lips, ears, and penis, may also be affected. Despite several similarities between the pathogenesis of psoriasis and autoimmune diseases, it was surprising to find low frequencies of disease associations. We present a case of a 19-year-old boy with familial chronic plaque psoriasis who developed severe Raynaud’s syndrome with penile involvement.
A case of facial angiosarcoma mimicking deep fungal infection
Authors: Fernando W. K. B. A. , Jayakody S. A. , Dinupa K. D. T. , Gunasekara J. D. S. K.
Published: June 2024

Cutaneous angiosarcoma is a rare, yet a highly aggressive skin and soft tissue tumor with a predilection to the head and neck region in white-skinned elderly males1.Cutaneous angiosarcomas have varied clinical presentations and could mimic several clinical entities making the diagnosis a challenge. Upon clinical suspicion, diagnosis is confirmed with histopathology examination and immunohistochemistry. Early diagnosis improves prognosis. We report a case of cutaneous angiosarcoma mimicking facial deep fungal infection.
Primary cutaneous diffuse large B cell lymphoma leg type mimicking pretibial myxedema
Authors: De Z. Rajakaruna G. K. , Danthanarayana A. S. , Fernando W. K. B. A. , Akarawita J.
Published: June 2024

No abstract available
Chronic suicidal ideations: a risk or a protection
Authors: Ronningstam Elsa , Schechter Mark , Herbstman Benjamin , Goldbalatt Mark
Published: June 2024

Chronic suicidal ideations can be consistently present as part of the individual’s sense of identity and self-regulation or as a reoccurring pattern to control intense feelings and communicate and relate experiences or intentions. While they can be the precursor to self-harm and suicide attempts, requiring a thorough risk assessment, they can also represent a way to control, avoid, or contain intolerable feelings and experiences. In addition, suicidal ideations can be either deeply internalized and hidden or indirectly or directly conveyed to others. This article focuses on understanding and approaching chronic suicidal ideations that specifically relate to self- and interpersonal characterological functioning, i.e., sense of identity, self-regulation, emotion regulation, and interpersonal intentions. Suicidal ideations must be identified and assessed both in terms of intention, i.e., motivation, plans, and means to harm oneself or end one’s life, as well as in terms of function, i.e., related to selfregulatory strategies for counterbalancing or protecting against overwhelming, painful, and frightening external, interpersonal, or internal experiences. Therapeutic strategies and challenges will be discussed, including engaging patients in the therapeutic alliance and building consistency, trust, and reliability.
The impact of implementing barrier curtain placement in reducing nosocomial COVID-19 clusters at a tertiary care facility
Authors: Nair Sivapriya G. , Prasanna Preetha , Thilakan Jesbin T. , Edathadathil Fabia , Kulirankal Kiran G. , Moni Merlin , Sathyapalan Dipu T.
Published: June 2024

Objective:

This study aimed to asses the impact of a physical barrier-based infection prevention and control (IPC) intervention in patient wards at a tertiary care center on patient-to-patient coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) transmission and cluster formation.

Materials and Methods:

A quasi-experimental study was conducted at a 1300-bedded South Indian tertiary care center. Barrier curtains were deployed between ward beds, accompanied by a social interaction protocol, at eight locations, each containing eleven 4-bedded cubicles accommodating 44 patient beds. A surveillance team daily audited adherence to mask usage, barrier curtains, and the social interaction protocol using a predefined checklist. An effective implementation hybrid design was employed to evaluate clinical impact (cluster formation) and implementation effectiveness (adherence to interventions) between the pre-implementation and post-implementation phases.

Results:

During the pre-implementation and post-implementation periods, 2398 and 1024 positive COVID-19 cases were recorded in the selected areas, respectively, with an average monthly positivity rate of 40%. The number of clusters decreased from three clusters with an average of 11.3 positive cases per cluster in the pre-implementation period to no clusters in the post-implementation period. Implementation effectiveness showed compliance rates of 90% for barrier curtain placement and 100% for the social interaction protocol.

Conclusion:

This study confirms that physical barriers, specifically curtains, are effective measures against nosocomial COVID-19 transmission. It underscores the importance of adopting context-specific, cost-effective strategies, especially in low-to-middle-income countries, and provides a strong rationale for further research and implementation of such interventions.
An exploratory study to understand the relationship between diabetes and various pulpal conditions: An Indian perspective
Authors: Pujara Shivangi M. , Khanna Shreya A. , Kalena Krupali D. , Jobanputra Dhaval H. , Jobanputra Leena H. , Mehta Manish N.
Published: June 2024

Aim:

Diabetes mellitus (DM) affects an estimated 100 million Indians, ranking second globally in diabetic prevalence. Despite this, the correlation between DM and specific pulpal diagnoses remains underexplored. This study compares pulpal conditions in DM patients and nondiabetic controls.

Designs:

The study was started after taking ethical approval.

Subjects and Methods:

Two thousand and five hundred and sixty teeth were examined over 4 months at the institute, evenly distributed between diabetic and nondiabetic cases, we assessed diagnoses – normal pulp, reversible pulpitis (RP), symptomatic irreversible pulpitis, asymptomatic irreversible pulpitis, pulp necrosis (PN), missing teeth (MT), and root canal-treated teeth (RCT). Statistical analysis used the Chi-square test.

Results:

PN and MT prevalence in DM patients significantly exceeded the control group. Conversely, the control group showed higher RP prevalence in the older subgroup.

Conclusions:

PN prevalence was higher in diabetics, suggesting reduced pulp sensitivity in individuals over 60 years. This diminished sensitivity might lead to delayed dental treatment, increasing PN prevalence.
Microbiological Analysis of Bacterial Isolates Obtained from Salad Dressing Samples from Street Food Vendors in Bangladesh Along with their Antibiogram Profiling
Authors: Sultana Raquiba , Alam Seemi Tasnim , Akter Sayeda , Mia Palash , Nabila Sanjana Sarwar , Tasnim Sadika , Ferdous Mehjabin , Islam Md. Riadul , Khan Md. Sabir , Akash Abdullah Al Farabi , Uddin Md. Aftab
Published: June 2024

BACKGROUND:

Consumption of fresh foods such as fruits, vegetables, and leafy greens has increased worldwide over the past two decades. Although the health benefits of fresh produce are significant, the incidence of foodborne illness associated with contaminated produce has increased in recent years. The rapid dissemination of antibiotic resistance in humans, animals, and the environment has resulted in the frequent emergence of pathogenic bacteria and widespread health concerns related to contaminated vegetables.

METHODS:

The study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology, Stamford University Bangladesh with a total of 87 Isolates collected from 28 different street vendors from August 2023 to November 2023.

RESULTS:

Three major groups of bacteria were isolated, where 56% were Enterobacteriaceae, 23% were Vibrio spp. and 21% were Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, their antimicrobial susceptibility tests were done where all the isolates were resistant to vancomycin and erythromycin except for S. aureus. Majority of the isolates showed susceptibility against ciprofloxacin, meropenem, gentamycin, doxycycline, azithromycin, and chloramphenicol.

CONCLUSION:

The study found that most samples of common salad vegetables are colonized by a variety of microorganisms, posing a serious public health risk, and shows how antibiotics can be used judiciously to prevent various health risks.
Algebraic de Rham theorem and Baker-Akhiezer function
Authors: Krichever Igor Moiseevich , Takhtadzhyan Leon Armenovich
Published: June 2024

For the case of algebraic curves (compact Riemann surfaces), it is shown that
de Rham cohomology group $H^1_{\mathrm{dR}}(X,\mathbb{C})$ of a genus $g$
of the Riemann surface $X$ has a natural structure of a symplectic vector space.
Every choice of a non-special effective divisor $D$ of degree $g$ on $X$
defines a symplectic basis of $H^1_{\mathrm{dR}}(X,\mathbb{C})$ consisting
of holomorphic differentials and differentials of the second kind with poles
on $D$. This result, which is the algebraic de Rham theorem, is used to describe
the tangent space to Picard and Jacobian varieties of $X$
in terms of differentials of the second kind, and to define a natural
vector fields on the Jacobian of the curve $X$ that move points of the divisor $D$.
In terms of the Lax formalism on algebraic curves, these vector fields
correspond to the Dubrovin equations in the theory of integrable systems,
and the Baker-Akhierzer function is naturally obtained by the integration along
the integral curves.
Sarcopenia and metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease: Time to address both
Authors: Wong Rochelle , Yuan Li-Yun
Published: June 2024

Sarcopenia and metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) are closely intertwined. Sarcopenia, traditionally a disease of the older adult and chronic disease population, has been closely studied as one of the pathophysiologic conditions at play in the development of MASLD. They share similar risk factors of insulin resistance and physical inactivity. Given similar pathophysiology along the liver-muscle axis, sarcopenia has been studied as a risk factor for MASLD, and vice versa. Current research suggests a bidirectional relationship. Given the chronicity of MASLD as a chronic inflammatory liver disease, it can break down muscle mass and lead to sarcopenia, while sarcopenia promotes intramuscular lipid accumulation that releases cytokines that can aggravate inflammation in the liver. However, for the longest time, a lack of consensus definition for MASLD and sarcopenia made it difficult to study their relationship and outcomes. A recent nomenclature update to diagnosing MASLD has made it easier for researchers to identify cohorts for study. However, no gold standard technique to measure muscle mass or consensus sarcopenia definition has been identified yet. Future studies are needed to reach a consensus and reduce diagnostic variation. With similar pathophysiology and shared risk factors between the two diseases, future research may also identify potential therapeutic targets along the liver-muscle axis that would benefit both sarcopenia and MASLD in order to maximize their outcomes.
Importance of the gut microbiota in the gut-liver axis in normal and liver disease
Authors: Kotlyarov Stanislav
Published: June 2024

The gut microbiota is of growing interest to clinicians and researchers. This is because there is a growing understanding that the gut microbiota performs many different functions, including involvement in metabolic and immune processes that are systemic in nature. The liver, with its important role in detoxifying and metabolizing products from the gut, is at the forefront of interactions with the gut microbiota. Many details of these interactions are not yet known to clinicians and researchers, but there is growing evidence that normal gut microbiota function is important for liver health. At the same time, factors affecting the gut microbiota, including nutrition or medications, may also have an effect through the gut-liver axis.
01 CAE analysis of a CVT toothed belt
Authors: TESTI Riccardo , ARNONE Luigi , MARCACCI Maurizio
Published: June 2024

This work deals with the CAE simulation of the behaviour of a belt employed in a CVT transmission of a large displacement scooter engine.

Both FEM and MBS simulations were performed, in order to estimate the dynamic loads acting on the component and the stress state the belt is subject to.

The MBS simulations were backed up by simple FEM tests performed in order to estimate the elastic properties of elementary portions of the belt. The MBS system comprised the belt and the two pulleys. As a result, the force components the pulleys exert on the belt were calculated.

FEM non-linear analyses were performed in order to estimate the stress state the belt experiences. The belt's both manufacturing and working conditions were simulated. The working conditions' were simulated via FEM and MBS analyses: the former were performed with a detailed description of the belt/pulley interface, under simplified static load conditions; the latter provided insight on the complex dynamic phenomena connected to the high-speed motion of the belt.

Besides allowing to have a deeper insight of the operating conditions of the particular component under study, the present work provided a methodological framework for the virtual prototyping of CVT belts.
3 A Split Power Continuously Variable Transmissions (SPCVT) for Bicycle Use
Authors: Ryu Jeonghyeon , Kim Yongkwon , Park Nogill
Published: June 2024

Fine packaging is important for the bicycle transmission design. We are proposing a split power continuously variable transmission (SPCVT) operated with one mode. The planetary gear unit (PGU) in the SPCVT consists of two epicyclic gear trains. Both epicyclic gear trains do not include any ring gears to minimize the overall diameter of the transmission. A variator is connected to the PGU as a type of variable bridge. The variator involves two rotor pairs contacting on concave-convex spherical surfaces. This new mechanism of the variator shows a strong possibility to get high power density in comparison with other existing traction drives. A four-bar linkage is used to locate the counter rotor assembly exactly in the contact points of the rotor pair and extend the range of variator speed ratio. The crank is pulled by the wire connected to the speed control lever on the handle of bicycle. The theoretical performances of SPCVT were investigated and a SPCVT was designed to install at the rear wheel, based on the regular input power and speed for bicycle, in which the overall width and diameter between hub and frame were within around 55mm and 200mm, respectively. And CAD was finished by Pro-E.
7 Experimental Research Concerning the Effect of the Scavenging Passage Length on the Combustion State and Exhaust Gas Composition of a Small Two-stroke Engine
Authors: YAMAZAKI Akinori , YOSHIDA Koji , SHOJI Hideo , ISHIDA Shigetoshi , KATOH Kinichi
Published: June 2024

This paper presents the results of experiments conducted with a two-stroke engine that was the world's first such engine to comply with the emissions regulations applied to small off-road engines by the U.S. state of California in 2000. This engine is fitted with a scavenging passage that runs around the crankcase before the scavenging port. The aim of this research was to investigate how changes in the quantity of heat transferred to the fresh air as a result of varying the length of the scavenging passage would affect the state of combustion and exhaust gas composition. An ion probe was fitted to the end zone of the combustion chamber in order to detect the state of combustion. A voltage of 60 V was applied to the ion probe and measurements were made of the voltage drop that occurred due to the presence of high concentrations of ions (H3O+, C3H3+, CHO+, etc.) at the flame front.
16 Optimisation of a Stratified Charge Strategy for a Direct Injected Two-Stroke Engine
Authors: GENTILI Roberto , ZANFORLIN Stefania , FRIGO Stefano , COZZOLINO Francesco , DELL'ORTO Pierluigi , DOVERI Carlo
Published: June 2024

Direct fuel injection is becoming mandatory in two-stroke S.I. engines, since it prevents one of the major problems of these engines, that is fuel loss from the exhaust port. Another important problem is combustion irregularity at light loads, due to excessive presence of residual gas in the charge, and can be solved by charge stratification.

High-pressure liquid fuel injection is able to control the mixing process inside the cylinder for getting either stratified charge at partial loads or quasi-stoichiometric conditions, as it is required at full load. This paper shows the development of this solution for a small engine for moped and light scooter, using numeric and experimental tools. In order to obtain the best charge characteristics at every load and engine speed, different combustion chambers have been conceived and studied, examining the effects of combustion chamber geometry, together with injector position and injection timing
Combustion Characteristics of a Direct Injection Stratified Charge Rotary Engine Using Spark Ignition and Pilot Flame Ignition Systems
Authors: MUROKI Takumi , MORIYOSHI Yasuo , TAKAGI Masahide
Published: June 2024

A Direct Injection Stratified Charge Rotary Engine (DISC-RE) with a pilot flame ignition system which has high ignition energy, large flame contact area and long duration of ignition source, has been examined comparing with a spark ignition system, using a model combustion chamber simulating a DISC-RE. As a result, it was found that the combustion using the pilot flame ignition system was activated and that a better ignitability was attained under lean mixture conditions than using a spark ignition system. To analyze these experimental results, numerical calculations of the mixture formation and combustion process were carried out. Numerical analyses proved that the pilot flame ignition system was superior to the spark ignition system as the pilot flame ignition made large-area ignition source and large inflammable mixture region. Finally, a single rotor with 650 cc displacement DISC-RE was built as a prototype. Basic running tests of this engine under light load conditions were performed. Test results showed that capabilities of practical use with a higher thermal efficiency than conventional rotary engines.
27 A New Method for Valve Seat without Ring
Authors: KOBAYASHI Masahiko , OZAKI Naoki , SUZUKI Nobuyuki , OZAKI Yoshinobu
Published: June 2024

A surface modification method by electrical discharge has been developed for the valve seats of aluminum cylinder heads. This method employs a conventional electrical discharge machine to generate continuous discharge arcs between an electrode and a cylinder head, whereby the molten electrode material is transferred and clad onto the valve seat area on the cylinder head. Using this new cladding method, a wear-resistant cladding can be formed on each valve seat area in a matter of minutes and, if the same number of electrodes as valve seat areas are set one on one, all the valve seat areas can be clad simultaneously. The advantages of this method include local cladding capability, outstanding adhesion, quick cladding speed, and excellent adaptability to various types of engines. The chemical composition of the cladding was determined by a preliminary test using dynamo engines, and the durability of the cladding was evaluated using the same dynamo engines. The results indicate the applicability of the surface modification method to high-output engines. This paper reports on the procedures and test results of this discharge cladding method.
Development of Low Noise Working Machine based on CFD Technique
Authors: Saito Masahiro , Okubo Minoru , Uyama Toshiyuki , Kanda Hiroshi
Published: June 2024

The demand for the noise reduction of working machines, such as construction machines, tractors, and generators, has been strongly increasing. In order to achieve noise reductions, a low noise fan was developed using the CFD (Computed Fluid Dynamics) technique. The engine enclosure was developed, not only to reduce the noise emitted from the engine efficiently, but also to improve the cooling performance. Finally, the average noise level of working machines was reduced by about 10dB(A).
68 Small Engine Catalyst for US Emission Regulations
Authors: TOKUI Tadashi , SHIRAHATA Junya
Published: June 2024

In regard to small utility engines used in lawn and garden equipment and other commercial or industrial equipment, exhaust emission regulations have been implemented since 1995 in USA. In the State of California, USA, California Air Resources Board (CARB) Tier 2 emission regulations became effective from 2000. At this stage, the handheld engines are almost two-stroke engines, but this Tier 2 emission regulations are very stringent for HC emissions. In addition, the handheld engines are small, and so they do not have enough muffler volume to be equipped with larger catalysts. This paper describes the newly developed catalyst for two-stroke small engines, which is compact and excellent in HC conversion, to meet above requirements.
Evaluation Method of Exhaust Sound Quality of Motorcycle
Authors: Hirakawa Nobuo , Yamamoto Makoto , Suwa Jun-ichi
Published: June 2024

The quality of exhaust sound has become one of the important factors in the motorcycle market.

Therefore both an efficient sound quality evaluation method and technology to achieve ideal sound quality have become necessary.

Sound qualify evaluation has generally been performed by trial and error through repeated modification of exhaust silencer construction until desired quality was obtained.

But it usually took painstaking work and long hours.

In order to solve such problems, we established an objective auditory evaluation method.

We also applied Principal component analysis to analize the result of the “Semantic Differential Method (SD method)” so as to determine the affecting elements.

Through this analysis system, “powerful sound” caused by relatively higher content of the low frequency range and “crispy sound” caused by a cyclic sound pattern were determined to be desirable sounds for “American type” motorcycles.

We established a system for approximate frequency distribution characteristic estimation for simply constructed exhaust silencers by introducing a numerical computation method, called “Finite Element Method (FEM)” and “Boundary Element Method(BEM)” to estimate the sound when exhaust silencer component elements are modified.
Suspension Modeling in Two-Wheelers by Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: BELSITO Salvatore , LOMBARDI Paolo
Published: June 2024

A model for predicting the acceleration time histories induced on a two-wheeler mechanical frame has been set up and validated. The model is based on the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) technique and does not introduce any simplifying hypothesis for the physics governing the system.

The model accounts for different road roughness, variable vehicle speed and adjustable suspension pre-load, but other variables of interest can in principle be added without changing the model architecture. The height profile of the road is considered as a random, steady-state process that is characterized by its power spectral density (PSD). The functions describing the road PSD have been experimentally measured for the pavements of interest.

During this study, ANNs have proven to be a viable, economical way of modeling suspension behavior. Feedforward neural networks have been successfully trained by means of the backpropagation algorithm. Such networks provide accurate predictions when compared with experimental time histories recorded during typical riding conditions.
A Trial for Forming of Piston made from Metal Plate
Authors: Murata Takeshi , Uchida Yukihiko , Hoshino Michihiko , Matsumoto Takashi , Nagai Yoshinori
Published: June 2024

A new method, in which a piston is formed from thick plate of aluminum-silicon alloy under hot working, has been developed by authors. Namely, in the first process a blank is formed into a shape of piston having a bearing part of a piston-pin by drawing, ironing and bottoming. In the second process a bearing part in the piston is made by means of burring. Finally, the plastically formed piston is finished by machining for grooves of piston rings and an oil ring.

In this paper, the forming method of the piston of internal combustion engine is mainly described. Furthermore, each stress distribution of plastically formed piston and die-casting one is examined by strain gage method and simulation of Finite Element Method. As a result of comparing both pistons, there are scarcely problems in practical use for this plastically formed piston.
A High Performance and Low Emissions Motorcycle Engine with the VIP System
Authors: Gau Tien-Ho , Peng Yu-Yin
Published: June 2024

A control system for the intake flow on 4-stroke engines had been developed. It was named the VIP (Variable Intake Port) system. Such system was proved an effective strategy to achieve fast lean-bum at part load and to increase volumetric efficiency at wide open throttle.

Test results showed that the maximum power of the VIP engine could rise more than 9 % in comparison with the original one. Under the ECE-40 test mode, this VIP motorcycle, without catalyst and secondary air system, could improve at least 16 % on fuel consumption. Emissions of HC+NOx was reduced from 1.07 to 1.00 g/km, and CO from 3.69 to 0.75 g/km. Not only the combustion variations at part load were improved, but also the maximum vehicle speed and the vehicle acceleration were superior to the original motorcycle.
Development of 500cm
3
Class Road Racing Motorcycle with an Engine of Two-Stroke and Two-Cyclinder for Marketing
Authors: Shiozaki Tomoo , Kawai Toshiro , Sato Yasushi , Kadomasu Hisashi , Hattori Shigeru
Published: June 2024

A 500cm3 2-cyUnder roadracer with high cost-performance was developed to stimulate the motorcycle roadracing community. Its driving performance is comparable to a 4-cylinder racer's. The main goal was to give this new 2-cylinder 500cm3 roadracer better cornering performance comparable to a 250cc racer's, which would supplement its lower power compared to a 4-cylinder racer's. First, various theoretical studies on roadability (driving performance) was conducted. Various weight-reducing designs were, then, adopted in engine and frame parts, and detailed testing was conducted. Through these studies and tests, a 2-cylinder 500cm3 roadracer, the size of which is similar to a 250cm3 racer's, was developed.
The Development of the Electric Propulsion System for the Zero Emission Scooter in Taiwan
Authors: Shu P. H. Jet , Chiang Wei-Li , Lin Bing-Ming , Cheng Ming-Chou
Published: June 2024

In year 2000, Taiwan EPA will implement a regulation for a 2% of mandatory sales of electric scooters to reduce the motorcycle emission. In order to cope with this regulation, Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and local motorcycle makers have carried out an electric scooter development which involves developing from the electric propulsion system development to the prototyping scooter to run a series fleet tests.

By installing the lead-acid battery into the scooter, the maximum speed can be reached to 50 km per hour, the cruise mileage per charging is 60 km. In addition to these, the preliminary test results show that the scooter can satisfy most of the target customers.

This article will describe the development of the zero emission scooter from the electric propulsion system to a small scale of fleet test.
Combustion Characteristic of Lean Mixture Ignited by Gas-Oil Injection in High Compression Engine
Authors: Kotani Daiji , Yoshida Koji , Shoji Hideo , Saima Atsushi
Published: June 2024

We have investigated combustion characteristics of lean gasoline-air pre-mixture ignited by gas-oil injection using a high compression D.I. diesel engine. Gasoline was supplied as an uniform lean mixture by using carburetors, and gas-oil was directly injected into the cylinder. Two different types of combustion chamber were attempted. It was confirmed that the lean mixture of air-fuel ratio between 150 and 35 could be ignited and burned by this ignition method. An engine with the re-entrant type combustion chamber had an advantage for combustion and ignition. The brake mean effective pressure increased when relatively rich mixture was provided with a small amount of the gas-oil injection. As the gas-oil injection increased, HC concentration decreased, and NO and CO concentration increased. The exhaust gas emission of pollutants could be reduced when lean mixture was ignited by an optimum gas-oil injection.