bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Geometric and static analysis of the historical truss of the medieval truss Church of St. Martin in Dolní Újezd
Authors: Krušinský P , Gocál J , Holešová M
Published: February 2021

The late-Romanesque St. Martin´s Church in Dolní Újezd was probably built in the mid-13th century. The nave has a wooden joist ceiling whose beams serve as tie beams too. The Gothic vaults above the presbytery date from ´30s of the 15th century. The truss of the church is dendro-dated to 1420 - 1421. Some members of a truss structure are dendro-dated to 1823 - 1824, when the repair was undertaken. The examined truss is a rafter-collar tie structure with collar beams and pedestal struts. It has a characteristic shape and may be typologically classified as a structure of the earlier period. This type of a truss structure was typically built in this region and represents one of the features occurring in the particular social and culture circles at the time. Consequently, a numerical model of the roof structure was created in order to perform a static analysis of the roof structure in accordance with present standards. With regard to the structural analysis results, it can be said that the original design of the structure based on geometrical and proportional principles satisfy the reliability conditions defined by current European standards for structural design.
The influence of the climatic features of the construction area on the level of energy-efficient thermal protection of of the office buildings
Authors: Frolova A A , Malyavina E G
Published: February 2021

The choice of the level of the building thermal protection should be based on economic indicators of these buildings, taking into account the cost of maintaining a given room thermal microclimate. However, an economic calculation can only be performed after evaluating the impact of the thermal protection level on the building energy performance. The specific energy consumption of a building is affected by the size of the building, since in the buildings of different lengths and number of storeys, the ratio of ordinary rooms on the intermediate and the upper floors is different, as is the number of ordinary and corner rooms. The purpose of the article is to identify the energy consumption for heating, free and machine cooling of the buildings of various sizes and number of storeys in the areas which differ by the heating period duration and the solar radiation intensity, i.e. in Moscow and in Astrakhan. Three options of the building thermal protection have been considered herewith, differing from each other in the resistance to heat transfer of the outer wall and the coating. The area of the windows made 55% of the facade area. The calculation has been performed for several values of the outdoor air temperature during the year in each city.
Deformation analysis of a construction pit in high-plasticity clay
Authors: Bulko R , Mihálik J
Published: February 2021

In Slovakia, construction process already begins in less suitable locations. Such a location is also situated in Podhorie, small village near the city of Žilina. The subsoil is formed by high-plasticity clay with claystone in lower position. This article deals with the analysis of the influence of various input parameters as well as Rinter mesh discretization on the determination of safety factor – M
SF. The Mohr-Coulomb constitutive model was used in numerical model with respect to availability of input parameters. The ability to identify the parameter with the biggest impact on the resulting value of safety factor is an indisputable benefit. Various studies have been published on this topic. In our case, cohesion c had the biggest influence on the M
SF parameter when reducing shear parameters. In the future, the authors will compare the achieved results of numerical modelling with the actual deformations of the structure.
Construction price assessment method based on inferential statistics
Authors: Remek L , Mikolaj J , Mikulova L , Durinova M
Published: February 2021

The paper presents a new objective price assessment method that can be used to accept, reject or negotiate prices for construction works proposed by the contractor of construction works. The method can be used as part of an acquisition of a new construction and in claim negotiation process both in private or a public sector. Price assessment is an investor‘s tool for the assessment of price eligibility. It should be focussed on evaluation of direct construction costs and indirect costs of the contractor in order to establish whether the costs declared by the contractor are justified. This creates a negotiation leverage in the creation of a contract or creation of legal basis for negotiations regarding claim reimbursement which can be recognized in accordance with special contractual provisions. Price assessment is a very time consuming task, the presented method uses statistical tools to assess the contractor’s price proposal by detailed analysis of main items on the budget, which are then treated as a population sample. Population mean of difference in contractor prices and price catalogue prices are then used to establish a confidence interval which can be used for hypothesis testing, i.e. drawing conclusions and further negotiations.
Relationship between water permeability and physical characteristics of polyolefins, vinyl polymers, and polycarbonates
Authors: Matseevich T A , Zhdanova T V , Matseevich A V , Askadskii A A
Published: February 2021

Diagrams of compatibility of water permeability with glass transition temperature, density, and cohesion energy are constructed. The computer program “Cascade”, INEOS RAS was used. Polyolefins, vinyl polymers, and polycarbonates were analyzed. Compatibility diagrams are constructed for the areas of lowest and highest water permeability for different classes of polymers. For polyolefins and vinyl polymers, the lowest water permeability is selected in the range from 0 to 100 barrer, and the highest water permeability is from 1000 to 2000 barrer. For polycarbonates, the intervals from 0 to 70 barrer and from 3000 to 7000 barrer are selected. These diagrams allow you to select polymers that meet the specified values of density, cohesion energy, glass transition temperature, and the onset of temperature of intense thermal degradation.
Influence of window constructions on the creation of the working environment of buildings in the warm season
Authors: Durica P , Barnak P
Published: February 2021

The contribution is devoted to the needs of thermal and humid microclimate and aspects that affect a specific administrative character, ie in the work environment. It describes the measurement methods, measurement results and derives corresponding sub-plants for the warm climatic conditions of the year in the area of thermal comfort, determined on the basis of measurements in the selected office room.
Research of the deformation of the shaping unit in an auger extruder caused by the extruding pressure in production of expanded clay
Authors: Galitskov K S , Nazarov M A , Borisov V A
Published: February 2021

The technological process of forming expanded clay granules in an auger extruder is considered. Based on the analysis of well-known studies, considering the influence of conditions for shaping a ceramic mass on the quality of the produced porous aggregate, the following factor was identified: clogging of the shaping grid leads to an increase in pressure on it, its deformation and the impossibility of further operation. The authors note that there are practically no theoretical studies in the field of determining the most rational modes of functioning of the shaping equipment. The simulation model of an auger extruder shaping unit was developed in the Solid Works software environment, computational experiments on the influence of design parameters on shaping pressure were carried out, and recommendations for further technical application were formulated. The use of the results obtained will improve both the reliability of extruders with a perforated grid, as well as the quality of the final product with the specified quality parameters (bulk density and strength).
The environmental impact of asphalt mixtures production for road infrastructure
Authors: Florkova Z , Sedivy S , Pastorkova J
Published: February 2021

Developed road infrastructure is a very significant factor which is influencing and conditioning the development of the economy and quality of transportation. Increasing demands for quality of road infrastructure lead to the construction of new roads. Moreover, the importance of keeping pavements in good condition increases proportionately with the increasing traffic. The construction of the road communications, their management and maintenance are material and energy consuming and the problem with the availability and exhaustion of resources is accretive. However, the development of road construction have to respect the protection of the environment, it have to be controlled and sustainable. Sustainable development ensures to meet subsistence for today’s and future generations and respects the natural functions of ecosystems. The paper is focused on the analysis of the factors arising from the production of asphalt mixtures for road infrastructure by asphalt mixing plants and their subsequent impact on the environment.
Issues of traffic surveys within the TRANS TRITIA project
Authors: Danišovič P , Pitoňák M , Trnka M , Ondrejka R
Published: February 2021

Road infrastructure is increasingly loaded by national and international freight transport, and so the European Union is trying to force Member States to try to shift some road freight transport to another mode of transport to create a large and efficient intermodal freight network. In this paper, we present a research project called TRANS TRITIA solved within the resources of the Interreg Central Europe program, which falls under priority axis no. 4 “Cooperation on transport to better connect CENTRAL EUROPE” and the specific program objective SO 4.2 “To improve coordination among freight transport stakeholders for increasing multimodal environmentally-friendly freight solutions. We will focus on its objectives by which wants to contribute to the efficient utilization of intermodal freight transport, to make transport more environmentally friendly. The project partners from Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland, together with representatives of the relevant regional governments, focused on improving the interconnection of Central European countries in the field of freight transport. In the second part of the paper, we will discuss in more detail the issue of traffic surveys, which served to obtain important data for the transport model of the TRITIA area.
An Experimental Performance Analysis on Robotics Process Automation (RPA) With Open Source OCR Engines: Microsoft Ocr And Google Tesseract OCR
Authors: Malathi T , Selvamuthukumaran D , Diwaan Chandar C S , Niranjan V , Swashthika A K
Published: February 2021

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) plays an important role in the solution for automating human digital interaction in various software domains like IT, Business Strategy and so on. Optical Character Recognition(OCR) superimposes subtitled characters on an image.Here we use two Open source OCR engines, Google Tesseract OCR - It literally makes use of the open source Tesseract OCR Engine[1]. Microsoft OCR - This is another open source OCR engine accessible in the Robotics Process Automation tool, UiPath[1]. The technique of optical character recognition (OCR) has been used to transform printed text into editable text. In various applications, OCR is a very useful and common technique. OCR precision can be dependent on algorithms for text preprocessing and segmentation. Often because of different scale, design, orientation, complex picture context, etc., it is difficult to retrieve text from the image. We begin this paper with an introduction to the Optical Character Recognition (OCR) process, in this paper, we propose a research analysis to estimate the accuracy of two open source OCR engines with Robotics Process Automation(RPA). These RPA processes are created using the UiPath tool and our results compare the OCR engines performance during the execution with the workflow and save the results to our local storage or on cloud storage if cloud support enabled and here we used local storage for purpose, and the result analysis and error analysis was evaluated by manual process which also included excel formulas to calculate the accuracy of the extracted string with the original string.
Application of value stream mapping using simulation tool in manufacturing assemble line: A case study
Authors: Latha B.M , Raghavendra N V , Ramesh Jangam
Published: February 2021

Value stream mapping is one of the most convenient graphic tools in the manufacturing industry to eliminate wastes. This study has been carried out for the heat sink part assembly line of a manufacturing unit. The basic objective was to employ computational tools for carrying out value stream mapping and to make improvements. In the first stage, value stream mapping was done for the existing assemble line with details such as cycle time, setup time, number of employees, etc., to identify bottlenecks. Future value stream mapping was carried out using a software tool. Simulation is employed for identifying the real-time production bottlenecks; this in turn leads to improvement in productivity. This proposed method can be implemented for any manufacturing industry to eliminate non-value-added activities (NVA). The study demonstrates that the use of appropriate computational tools ensure standard methodology for a complex problem as well as produces quick results.
Optimization of process parameters in Electro Chemical Discharge Machining of silica glass through Analysis of Means
Authors: Bellubbi Sadashiv , Hipparagi Maheshwar A , Naik Ravindra , Sathisha N
Published: February 2021

In recent years, the Electro Chemical Discharge Machining (ECDM) process has advanced as a substitute for machining of conductive and non-conductive materials. Optimization of the process parameters plays a crucial role in improving the quality of the processed components. The machining of microchannel in silica glass has been successfully attempted in present work by considering Analysis of Means (ANOM) of ECDM process parameters. The experiments were planned using Taguchi’s L9 orthogonal array with applied voltage, stand-off distance (SOD), electrolyte concentration (EC) and pulse on time (TON) as process parameters. The Material Removal Rate (MRR), Machining Depth (MD) and Overcut (OC) were observed as output characteristics. The ANOM study revealed that the error between experimental and predicted values of MRR, MD and OC are 4.22%, 1.92% and 3.46% respectively. Stand-off distance was found to be the most significant factor followed by pulse on time, applied voltage and electrolyte concentration from ANOVA. Confirmation test was performed by setting the optimum combination of process parameters and the predicted values from regression analysis exhibited a good agreement with experimental results.
Effect of Fuel Intake Temperature on Performance and Emission of Diesel Engine
Authors: Vijay V S , Gonsalvis Joseph
Published: February 2021

Heating diesel fuel before injecting into the engine cylinder is the technique employed in this experiment with the primary objective of improving combustion and decreasing emission. This results in gasification of diesel when injected into the engine cylinder leading to better mixing, evaporation and combustion of diesel fuel. This also results in decrease of physical delay period. Experiments are done at standard injection timing with preheating done in the interval of 100°C, 175°C and 250°C. At each temperature, readings are taken at no load, 25%, 50% and 75% of full load. It is observed that preheating results in decreased emission of CO and HC at all the loads. At 50% and 75% load CO and HC decreased by about 35% and 50% respectively. NOx is also increased showing that combustion of diesel fuel is improved. Maximum brake thermal efficiency (BTE) and minimum brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) is obtained at preheating temperature of 100°C at 75% load condition. With increase in load condition, performance is found to be better at higher preheating temperature. With increase in preheating temperature, performance and emission is better and efficient. Performance improvement is better at 50% load than at no load and 25% load.
Mechanical Characterization Of Mmt Nano Clay/Epoxy/ Basalt Fiber Composites
Authors: Mutalikdesai Susilendra , Vani R , Bhandari Arpan , Aishwarya Jain Y
Published: February 2021

The importance of composite fibers have been rapidly increasing since the inception of its discovery, in almost every engineering field. They possess beneficial properties such as low weight, high strength, highly resistive towards corrosion which makes them unique. The objective of present study is to fabricate composite using epoxy as polymer and basalt fiber as reinforcement and to investigate the influence of dispersing MMT Nano clay (Montmorillonite Nano-clay) in polymer. Conventional hand lay-up technique was used for the fabrication of composite laminate. The bi-directional basalt fiber was used as reinforcement and epoxy was taken as matrix material. Mechanical Characterization of MMT Nano clay/epoxy/basalt fiber composites was carried out for tests such as tensile, flexural and impact test, the results showed that the laminate had comprehensible properties, concluding usage of composite material is more beneficial and cost effective than conventional materials in many ways.
Transient Heat Transfer Analysis Of Dimpled Rod
Authors: Kaldgi Abdul Rajak , Buradi Abdul Rajak , Vishwanath K C , Sreenivasalu Reddy N. , Muneer Rayid , Avvad Mohammed , Chandrasekhar A , Afzal Asif , Ahamed Saleel C
Published: February 2021

The considerable heat transfer increase that the dimple causes has led to an interest in its technology recently, with pressure drop penalties lesser than other heat augmentation types. The increase in heat transfer using dimples is based on the fact that the scrubbing of cooling fluid occurs within the dimple and intensifies the delay of flow separation over the surface. The researchers have used different dimple-shaped geometries from all the research studied, such as triangular, ellipsoidal, circular, square, from which the ellipsoidal shape offers better results than other shapes because of prior vortex development. The present work mainly aims to study the dimpled specimen’s transient properties and determine their influence on heat transfer.
A Melanoma Skin Cancer Detection Using Machine Learning Technique: Support Vector Machine
Authors: Banasode Praveen , Patil Minal , Ammanagi Nikhil
Published: February 2021

In this paper proposed is an easy way to detect the disease and help us to know before something turns out to be serious. The aim of this work is to detect skin cancer. People can get to know what skin disease they are having and what all precaution and measures to be taken at an early stage and it will help in treating the disease successfully. The major causes of skin cancer are air pollution, UV radiation, unhealthy life style etc. The concept of machine learning will be used to determine the disease and help us to detect the result. The most commonly used classification algorithms is support vector machine (SVM). First we are analyzing the skin image then converting the images into BGR-Gray and BGR-HSV for the computer to understand and enable it to read binary codes. The result of this study will help doctors to treat disease at the initial stage and further aggravation can be avoided.
Analysis and Predicting Results of IPL T20 Matches
Authors: Banasode Praveen , Patil Minal , SupriyaVerma
Published: February 2021

The craze of Indian Premier League (IPL) is always there in millions of people including Indian and our work is about the analysis of the data and prediction of the IPL matches. IPL Data Analysis is all about the analysing the data that is al- ready present in data set using data science, machine learning and python. This is an application design for the purpose of analysing the data by fetching the attribute from the data set and predicting the future of the match and as well as of the players. This will help in the selection of the IPL team that the team should perform good and win the match. Prediction is done for anything like which player will play well in tomorrow’s match, which team will win toss and even match etc. The prediction can be done with the help of the analysis on that data set collected and by displaying proper data that is useful for the future prediction. The algorithms have given accuracy over 95%.
Cloud Data Security Model Using Modified Decoy Technique In Fog Computing For E-Healthcare
Authors: Maragathavalli Dr. P. , Atchaya S. , Kaliyaperumal N. , Saranya S.
Published: February 2021

In recent years, the cloud provides the facility of storing the possible files to a remote database which can be retrieved on demand. Healthcare cloud infrastructure is used to store the medical records which in turn help in managing and tracking the records of the user. The primary care providers use Electronic Medical Record (EMR) for diagnosing and evaluating medical data. Big data analytics is an important technology in enormous business areas which includes banking, social media, machine sensor data and medical welfare. Healthcare cloud provides various storage facilities such as Google drive, dropbox business and one drive in which security issues like data theft attacks to be considered as the serious security breaches of the cloud. In this paper, a modified decoy technique is proposed in order to ensure more security for the user’s Medical Big Data (MBD). The tri-party authentication key uses key agreement protocol which is modelled by bilinear pairing cryptography. The proposed system detects the attacker and sends the information such as IP address, access time and date to the user. It also provides the facility to block the account from further access. Using the triple-des algorithm in bilinear pairing the parameters like throughput is increased and computational complexity is decreased.
An ensemble classification based approach for breast cancer prediction
Authors: Mahesh Vijayalakshmi G V , Mohan Kumar M
Published: February 2021

Breast cancer is the second major reason for deaths in women. Early detection of the breast cancer and receiving the appropriate treatment can reduce the death rates as survival becomes hard in the higher stages of the tumor growth. Application of machine learning in healthcare play a key role in aiding the clinical experts to detect the disease at a early stage and perform precise assessment. This paper proposes a pattern recognition methodology that uses breast cancer biomarkers as the attributes and ensemble classification approach for accurately detecting the presence of cancer. The proposed method was evaluated for the samples of the breast cancer Coimbra dataset by fusing the decisions of naive Baye’s, radial basis function neural network and linear discriminant analysis classifiers based on majority voting rule. The experimental results demonstrated the enhanced performance of the system with fusion of classifiers as compared to the single classifiers.
The enhanced catalytic activity of Cu/SAPO-34 by ion exchange method for selective catalytic reduction of nitric oxide
Authors: Wang Dapeng , Li Zhaokun , Song Chengwen
Published: February 2021

The Cu/SAPO-34 catalysts were prepared via the ion exchange process for achieving improved catalytic activity. Effects of various parameters including copper ions sources, copper ions loadings and ion exchange temperature on catalyst performance of the Cu/SAPO-34 catalysts were investigated. The results showed that the Cu/SAPO-34 catalysts roughly maintained similar cubic-like morphology and crystalline structure with the SAPO-34 catalyst, and achieved enhanced catalytic activity. Among various copper ion sources, the Cu/SAPO-34 catalyst using Cu(CH3COO)2 as copper ion source demonstrated high nitric oxide conversion rate. Increasing the copper ion loadings, the nitric oxide conversion rate of the Cu/SAPO-34 catalysts achieved significant improvement. However, when the copper ion loadings exceeded 0.01 mol, the nitric oxide conversion rate began to decline. The catalytic activity of the Cu/SAPO-34 also closely depended on ion exchange temperature. The nitric oxide conversion rate of the Cu/SAPO-34 catalyst showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing with the improvement of ion exchange temperature, and the recommended ion exchange temperature was 60 °C. Hydrothermal aging treatment further confirmed the good stability of the Cu/SAPO-34 catalyst. Moreover, kinetic investigation was carried out, which was in agreement with the SCR results.
Virtual resolutions of monomial ideals on toric varieties
Authors: Yang Jay
Published: February 2021

We use cellular resolutions of monomial ideals to prove an analog of Hilbert’s syzygy theorem for virtual resolutions of monomial ideals on smooth toric varieties.
Safety and efficacy of very short dual antiplatelet therapy followed by P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy in older patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Roule Vincent , Lemaitre Adrien , Pommier Wilhelm , Bignon Mathieu , Sabatier Rémi , Blanchart Katrien , Beygui Farzin
Published: February 2021

Background

older patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) represent a growing population sharing both a high ischemic and bleeding risk. Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) reduces the incidence of thrombotic events but exposes patients to an increased risk of bleeding and subsequent mortality. Its optimal duration after PCI remains unclear.

Objective

to assess the impact of short-duration DAPT on both bleeding and ischemic events in the specific population of older patients undergoing PCI.

Methods

we performed a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials comparing the safety and efficacy of standard versus very short duration (≤ 3 months, followed by P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy) DAPT after PCI with a drug-eluting stent in older patients.

Results

four studies, representing 8,961 older patients, were finally included. Compared with standard duration, short-duration DAPT was associated with similar rates of major bleeding (relative risks, RR 0.70 [0.47; 1.05]) and the composite efficacy endpoint (RR 0.85 [0.63; 1.14]). There was a high level of heterogeneity between the studies (I2 = 68%) regarding major bleeding.

Conclusion

our meta-analysis suggests that short DAPT may be a valid option in older patients after PCI but it also highlights the need for specific studies in such patients on optimal duration of antiplatelet therapy.
Mold’s Dominion: Science, Empire, and Capitalism in a Globalizing World
Authors: Sasges Gerard
Published: February 2021

Today, Jōkichi Takamine and Albert Calmette are known for their contribution to the history of medicine. Yet their early careers centered not on medicine, but on biotechnology, and on parallel projects to bring a food processing technology used across Asia to new audiences around the world. In the end, they both succeeded, but in very different ways. Takamine would make his fortune with “Taka-Diastase,” a patent digestive aid once popular around the world; Calmette would help develop the “Amylo Process” of industrial brewing and distilling used as the basis of exploitative alcohol monopolies in colonial Indochina and Formosa. Understanding how a single technology could take on two radically different forms provides a unique opportunity to explore entanglements of science, empire, and capitalism in a globalizing world. Empires and capitalist enterprises combined to send mold along pathways that both reflected and transcended imperial boundaries. And as it traveled, mold was remade by—and in turn helped to remake—the political economies it encountered. Today, when the products of mold technologies are part of our daily lives, it’s tempting to see globalization in terms of seamless, uniform, and seemingly inevitable outcomes. This paper focuses attention instead on alternative paths, contingent and deeply inequitable processes, and the way science, empire, and capitalism produced the modern world.
Opioids and the Risk of Fracture: A Self-Controlled Case Series Study in the Clinical Practice Research Datalink
Authors: Peach Emily J , Pearce Fiona A , Gibson Jack , Cooper Andrew J , Chen Li-Chia , Knaggs Roger D
Published: February 2021

Self-controlled study designs can be used to assess the association between exposures and acute outcomes while controlling for important confounders. Using routinely collected health data, a self-controlled case series design was used to investigate the association between opioid use and bone fractures in 2008–2017 among adults registered in the United Kingdom Clinical Practice Research Datalink. The relative incidence of fracture was estimated, comparing periods when these adults were exposed and unexposed to opioids, adjusted for time-varying confounders. Of 539,369 people prescribed opioids, 67,622 sustained fractures and were included in this study. The risk of fracture was significantly increased when the patient was exposed to opioids, with an adjusted incidence rate ratio of 3.93 (95% confidence interval (CI): 3.82, 4.04). Fracture risk was greatest in the first week of starting opioid use (adjusted incidence rate ratio: 7.81, 95% CI: 7.40, 8.25) and declined with increasing duration of use. Restarting opioid use after a gap in exposure significantly increased fracture risk (adjusted incidence rate ratio: 5.05, 95% CI: 4.83, 5.29) when compared with nonuse. These findings highlight the importance of raising awareness of fractures among patients at opioid initiation and demonstrate the utility of self-controlled methods for pharmacoepidemiologic research.
The Promise and Pitfalls of Environmental DNA and RNA Approaches for the Monitoring of Human and Animal Pathogens from Aquatic Sources
Authors: Farrell Jessica A , Whitmore Liam , Duffy David J
Published: February 2021

Novel forensics-inspired molecular approaches have revolutionized species detection in the wild and are particularly useful for tracing endangered or invasive species. These new environmental DNA or RNA (eDNA or eRNA)–based techniques are now being applied to human and animal pathogen surveillance, particularly in aquatic environments. They allow better disease monitoring (presence or absence and geographical spread) and understanding of pathogen occurrence and transmission, benefitting species conservation and, more recently, our understanding of the COVID-19 global human pandemic. In the present article, we summarize the benefits of eDNA-based monitoring, highlighted by two case studies: The first is a fibropapillomatosis tumor-associated herpesvirus (chelonid herpesvirus 5) driving a sea turtle panzootic, and the second relates to eRNA-based detection of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus driving the COVID-19 human pandemic. The limitations of eDNA- or eRNA-based approaches are also summarized, and future directions and recommendations of the field are discussed. Continuous eDNA- or eRNA-based monitoring programs can potentially improve human and animal health by predicting disease outbreaks in advance, facilitating proactive rather than reactive responses.
Progression in Parkinson’s disease: a potpourri of plots and probabilities
Authors: Le Heron Campbell , Myall Daniel , Anderson Tim
Published: February 2021

This scientific commentary refers to ‘Sequence of clinical and neurodegeneration events in Parkinson’s disease progression’ by Oxtoby et al. (doi: 10.1093/brain/awaa461).
A Connectivity-Based Psychometric Prediction Framework for Brain–Behavior Relationship Studies
Authors: Wu Jianxiao , Eickhoff Simon B , Hoffstaedter Felix , Patil Kaustubh R , Schwender Holger , Yeo B T Thomas , Genon Sarah
Published: February 2021

The recent availability of population-based studies with neuroimaging and behavioral measurements opens promising perspectives to investigate the relationships between interindividual variability in brain regions’ connectivity and behavioral phenotypes. However, the multivariate nature of connectivity-based prediction model severely limits the insight into brain–behavior patterns for neuroscience. To address this issue, we propose a connectivity-based psychometric prediction framework based on individual regions’ connectivity profiles. We first illustrate two main applications: 1) single brain region’s predictive power for a range of psychometric variables and 2) single psychometric variable’s predictive power variation across brain region. We compare the patterns of brain–behavior provided by these approaches to the brain–behavior relationships from activation approaches. Then, capitalizing on the increased transparency of our approach, we demonstrate how the influence of various data processing and analyses can directly influence the patterns of brain–behavior relationships, as well as the unique insight into brain–behavior relationships offered by this approach.
Road traffic noise and cardiovascular disease risk factors in UK Biobank
Authors: Kupcikova Zuzana , Fecht Daniela , Ramakrishnan Rema , Clark Charlotte , Cai Yutong Samuel
Published: February 2021

Aims

The aim of this study was to investigate the cross-sectional associations of modelled residential road traffic noise with cardiovascular disease risk factors [systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), C-reactive protein, triglycerides, glycated haemoglobin, and self-reported hypertension] in UK Biobank.

Methods and results

The UK Biobank recruited 502 651 individuals aged 40–69 years across the UK during 2006–10. Road traffic noise (Lden and Lnight) exposure for 2009 was estimated at baseline address using a simplified version of the Common Noise Assessment Methods model. We used multivariable linear and logistic regression models, adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), smoking, alcohol intake, area- and individual-level deprivation, season of blood draw, length of time at residence, and nitrogen dioxide (main model), in an analytical sample size of over 370 000 participants. Exposure to road-traffic Lden >65 dB[A], as compared to ≤55 dB[A], was associated with 0.77% [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.60%, 0.95%], 0.49% (95% CI 0.32%, 0.65%), 0.79% (95% CI 0.11%, 1.47%), and 0.12% (95% CI −0.04%, 0.28%) higher SBP, DBP, triglycerides, and glycated haemoglobin, respectively. Removing BMI from the main model yielded significant positive associations with all five markers with elevated percent changes. The associations with SBP or DBP did not appear to be impacted by hypertension medication while a positive association with prevalent self-reported hypertension was seen in the non-medicated group who exposed to a Lden level of 60–65 dB[A] (odds ratio 1.07, 95% CI 1.00, 1.15).

Conclusion

Exposure to road traffic noise >65 dB[A], independent of nitrogen dioxide, was associated with small but adverse changes in blood pressure and cardiovascular biochemistry.
Separation of geophysical signals in the LAGEOS geocentre motion based on singular spectrum analysis
Authors: Yu Hongjuan , Sośnica Krzysztof , Shen Yunzhong
Published: February 2021

We recompute the 26-yr weekly Geocentre Motion (GCM) time-series from 1994 to 2020 through the network shift approach using Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) observations to LAGEOS1/2. Then the Singular Spectrum Analysis (SSA) is applied for the first time to separate and investigate the geophysical signals from the GCM time-series. The Principal Components (PCs) of the embedded covariance matrix of SSA from the GCM time-series are determined based on the w-correlation criterion and two PCs with large w-correlation are regarded as one periodic signal pair. The results indicate that the annual signal in all three coordinate components and semi-annual signal in both X and Z components are detected. The annual signal from this study agrees well in both amplitude and phase with those derived by the Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern and the Center for Space Research, especially for the Y and Z components. Besides, the other periodic signals with the periods of (1043.6, 85, 28), (570, 280, 222.7) and (14.1, 15.3) days are also quantitatively explored for the first time from the GCM time-series by using SSA, interpreting the corresponding geophysical and astrodynamic sources of aliasing effects of K1/O1, T2 and Mm tides, draconitic effects, and overlapping effects of the ground-track repeatability of LAGEOS1/2.
Bending curvatures of subducting plates: old versus young slabs
Authors: Dasgupta Ritabrata , Sen Joyjeet , Mandal Nibir
Published: February 2021

By combining scaled laboratory experiments and numerical simulations, this study presents a quantitative analysis of the bending radius (RB) of subducting slabs within the upper mantle, taking into account the effects of age (A). Based on a half-space cooling model, we constrain the density (ρ), viscosity (η) and thickness (h) of slabs as a function of A, and develop representative models to estimate RB for different A. Laboratory subduction models produce visually contrasting bending curvatures for young (A = 10 Ma), intermediate (A = 70 Ma) and old (A = 120 Ma) slabs. Young slabs undergo rollback, resulting in a small bending radius (scaled up RB ∼ 150 km), whereas old slabs subduct along a uniformly dipping trajectory with large bending radius (RB ∼ 500 km). Equivalent real scale computational fluid dynamic simulations reproduce similar bending patterns of the subducting slabs, and yield RB versus A relations fairly in agreement with the laboratory results. We balance the buoyancy driven bending, flexural-resistive moments and viscous flow induced suction moment to theoretically evaluate the rate of slab bending. The analytical solution suggests an inverse relation of the bending rate with A, which supports our experimental findings. Finally, slab geometries of selected natural subduction zones, derived from high-resolution seismic tomographic images have been compiled to validate the experimental RB versus A regression. We also discuss the subduction settings in which this regression no longer remains valid.
Changing trends of mental and behavioral responses and associations during the COVID-19 epidemic in China: a panel study
Authors: Yang Xiaozhao Yousef , Peng Sihui , Yang Tingzhong , Cottrell Randall R
Published: February 2021

This prospective observational study examined changing trends in mental and behavioral responses, and their association with perceived risk, severity, self-efficacy and isolation status during the Chinese COVID-19 epidemic. There were five waves of interviews. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric test methods were used for data analysis. Participants numbered 150 for the linkable baseline survey and 102 completed all 5 survey waves and were included in the analysis. Mental stress, emotional status and lifestyle manifested a statistically significant downwards trend across the total period of this panel study. The number of reported new confirmed patients perceived high risk and perceived severity were positively associated with mental stress, emotional status and lifestyle. Self-efficacy was negatively associated with each type of mental and behavioral response. The more time people were confined to their home, the more serious the emotional and lifestyle problems. Dose-response relationships were noted between the number of reported new confirmed patients and mental stress, emotional status and lifestyle during the five observation points. This study yielded new information about mental and behavioral responses among Chinese people during the COVID-19 epidemic. Policy changes and health education are essential for minimizing the adverse health effects of these responses.
Pneumonia hospitalizations and the subsequent risk of incident ischaemic cardiovascular disease in Chinese adults
Authors: Hu Yizhen , Yu Canqing , Guo Yu , Bian Zheng , Han Yuting , Yang Ling , Chen Yiping , Du Huaidong , Pang Yuanjie , Sun Dianjianyi , Jin Jianrong , Zhang Jun , Wang Jingjia , Shao Chunli , Tang Yi-Da , Chen Junshi , Chen Zhengming , Lv Jun , Li Liming ,   the China Kadoorie Biobank Collaborative Group
Published: February 2021

Background

Acute respiratory infections have been associated with a transient increase in cardiovascular risk. However, whether such an association persists beyond 1 month and the potential modifying effect of cardiovascular risk factors on such an association are less well established.

Methods

The China Kadoorie Biobank enrolled 512 726 participants aged 30–79 years from 10 areas across China during 2004–2008. By the end of 2017, a total of 5444 participants with new-onset ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and 4846 with ischaemic stroke (IS) who also had at least a record of hospitalization for pneumonia during follow-up were included. We used a self-controlled case-series method and calculated the age- and season-adjusted relative incidences (RIs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for ischaemic cardiovascular disease (CVD) after pneumonia.

Results

The risk of ischaemic CVD increased during days 1–3 after pneumonia hospitalization, with an RI (95% CI) of 4.24 (2.92–6.15) for IHD and 1.85 (1.02–3.35) for IS. The risk gradually reduced with longer duration since pneumonia hospitalization but remained elevated until days 92–365 for IHD (1.23, 1.12–1.35) and days 29–91 for IS (1.25, 1.05–1.48). Pre-existing cardiovascular risk factors amplified the associations between pneumonia and ischaemic CVD risks, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for both IHD and IS, and diabetes and smoking for IHD (all Pinteraction < 0.05). Besides, the risk of ischaemic CVD was also higher among the participants aged ≥70 years (Pinteraction < 0.001 for IHD and 0.033 for IS).

Conclusion

Among middle-aged and older Chinese adults, pneumonia hospitalization was associated with both short- and long-term increases in ischaemic CVD risk for ≤1 year.
The Lovelace Medal 2020
Authors: Cooper Martin
Published: February 2021

The BCS Lovelace Medal is an award for making significant contributions to the advancement of information systems. Martin Cooper MBCS meets the recipients.
The Big Interview: Language and Cybersecurity
Authors: Cooper Martin
Published: February 2021

Paul Vlissidis MBCS, Technical Director at NCC Group and author of How To Survive The Internet, tells Martin Cooper MBCS why the language cybersecurity uses might be hampering the industry's attempts to keep people and organisations safe.
How Do You Manage an Invisible Workforce?
Authors: Carole Osterweil
Published: February 2021

A recent BCS LinkedIn poll revealed that mental health was at the top of managers’ list of WFH concerns. As author and troubleshooter Carole Osterweil explains, mental health is something you ignore at your peril!
Redefining The Notion Of weakness In GR(1) Formulae
Authors: Cavezza Davide G , Alrajeh Dalal , András György
Published: February 2021

The paper ‘A Weakness Measure for GR(1) Formulae’, by Davide G. Cavezza, Dalal Alrajeh and András György, published in Formal Aspects of Computing, in November 2020, explores a new measure for assessing the weakness of GR(1) conjunctions quantitatively.
Optimizing Measurement and Interpretation of the G6PD/Hb Ratio
Authors: Higgins Victoria , Cheng Pow Lee , Selvaratnam Rajeevan , Brinc Davor
Published: February 2021

Background

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD)/hemoglobin (Hb) ratio helps detect G6PD deficiency, an X-linked disorder that can be asymptomatic or cause acute hemolytic anemia and chronic hemolysis. We investigated preanalytical, analytical, and postanalytical aspects to optimize G6PD/Hb measurement and interpretation.

Methods

G6PD was measured with the Pointe Scientific assay and Hb with Drabkin’s reagent on Alinity c® (Abbott Diagnostics). Stability of G6PD/Hb was assessed after 7 and 14 days while stored at 2–8 °C. Stability of hemolysate prepared for G6PD analysis was assessed using QC and patient samples up to 4 h at room temperature or 2–8 °C. Analytical performance specifications including precision, method comparison, linearity, LOQ, and carry-over were established for the enzymatic reaction of G6PD and spectrophotometric reading of Hb. G6PD/Hb reference interval and cut-offs were established indirectly using truncated maximum likelihood method (TML) using retrospective data (n = 4715 patient data points).

Results

Samples were stable after 7 days at 2–8°C, unless grossly hemolyzed. Hemolysate prepared for G6PD measurement remained stable for up to 4 h for QC at room temperature and 2–8°C, but up to 30 min–1 h at room temperature and 1–2 h at 2–8 °C for patient samples. Precision, linearity, LOQ, and carryover were acceptable. G6PD/Hb cut-offs were <3.3, ≥3.3, 3.3–8.9, and ≥8.9 U/g Hb for deficient males/females, normal males, intermediate females, and normal females, respectively.

Conclusions

In vitro hemolysis and delayed hemolysate analysis significantly reduce G6PD/Hb stability. QC material cannot detect the impact of delayed hemolysate analysis. These findings were foundational for optimizing G6PD/Hb protocols for a new platform and establishing laboratory-specific G6PD/Hb cut-offs.
Scholarship, skill and community: collections and the creation of ‘provincial’ medical education in Manchester, 1750–1850
Authors: Marples Alice
Published: February 2021

This article explores how medical collections, representing repositories of knowledge and prestige, were used in the communication and representation of medical education and provincial identity in Manchester in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. It charts the changing ways in which medical collections and knowledge were represented as both pedagogical and promotional devices, demonstrating the importance of a localized approach to medical culture and, particularly, collecting in the long eighteenth century, and a sensitivity to how different generations inherited their recent past. It argues against any assumption of the easy transmission of scholarly cultural codes from metropolitan ‘centres’ to provincial ‘peripheries’.
Deep Convolutional Neural Networks on Automatic Classification for Skin Tumour Images
Authors: Simić Svetlana , Simić Svetislav D , Banković Zorana , Ivkov-Simić Milana , Villar José R , Simić Dragan
Published: February 2021

The skin, uniquely positioned at the interface between the human body and the external world, plays a multifaceted immunologic role in human life. In medical practice, early accurate detection of all types of skin tumours is essential to guide appropriate management and improve patients’ survival. The most important issue is to differentiate between malignant skin tumours and benign lesions. The aim of this research is the classification of skin tumours by analysing medical skin tumour dermoscopy images. This paper is focused on a new strategy based on deep convolutional neural networks which have recently shown a state-of-the-art performance to define strategy to automatic classification for skin tumour images. The proposed system is tested on well-known HAM10000 data set. For experimental results, verification is performed and the results are compared with similar researches.