bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ANALISIS SEMIOTIKA PESAN DAKWAH DALAM FILM JEJAK LANGKAH 2 ULAMA KARYA INISIASI KH. SALAHUDDIN WAHID
Authors: Khoir Syabikul , Masruroh Sayyidah Afyatul
Published: August 2023

Seiring perkembangan zaman, para dai menyadari bahwa peran film sebagai media edukasi sangat berpengaruh bagi kehidupan masyarakat. Oleh karena itu, para dai juga menggunakan film sebagai media dakwah, untuk membangun karakter masyarakat muslim yang Islami. Film Jejak Langkah 2 Ulama (JL2U) yang disutradarai oleh Sigit Ariansyah diproduksi oleh Rumah Produksi Tebuireng (MAKSI) dan Mix Pro Yogyakarta ini mengisahkan perjalanan hidup 2 tokoh besar dalam dakwah Islam di Indonesia yaitu KH. Hasyim Asyâ€™ari dan KH. Ahmad Dahlan. Film ini merupakan hasil perundingan dan kerjasama antara Lembaga Seni Budaya dan Olahraga (LSBO) Muhammadiyyah dan Pesantren Tebuireng dibawah naungan Gus Sholah waktu itu. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis tanda dan makna tanda pesan dakwah dalam film tersebut, yakni pesan dakwah akidah, syariah dan akhlak. Pesan dakwah aqidah yang disampaikan dalam film ini adalah tentang iman kepada Allah, iman kepada kitab-kitab Allah, dan utusan-utusan Allah. Pesan dakwah syariah yang disampaikan adalah tentang ibadah dan muamalah, yakni perintah untuk bertanya kepada yang lebih ahli, perintah menyanyangi sesama makhluk hidup, menunaikan haji, mengajarkan ilmu, perintah tolong menolong, perintah meninggalkan perbuatan dosa, perintah menasihati dalam kesabaran, dan perintah saling memaafkan. Pesan dakwah akhlak yang disampaikan pada film ini adalah tentang sikap bijaksana, ketawadhuan dan kepatuhan kepada guru, sikap penolong kepada sesama manusia, sikap saling mengingatkan, dan kesabaran dan keikhlasan.
Disease detection in bean leaves using deep learning
Authors: SERTTAŞ Soydan , DENİZ Emine
Published: August 2023

The care and health of agricultural plants, which are the primary source for people to eat healthily, are essential. Disease detection in plants is one of the critical elements of smart agriculture. In parallel with the development of artificial intelligence, advancements in smart agriculture are also progressing. The development of deep learning techniques positively affects smart farming practices. Today, using deep learning and computer vision techniques, various plant diseases can be detected from images such as photographs. In this research, deep learning techniques were used to detect and diagnose bean leaf diseases. Healthy and diseased bean leaf images were used to train the convolutional neural network (CNN) model, which is one of the deep learning techniques. Transfer learning was applied to CNN models to detect plant diseases with the difference of related works. A transfer learning-based strategy to identify various diseases in plant varieties is demonstrated using leaf images of healthy and diseased plants from the Bean dataset. With the proposed method, 1295 images were studied. The results show that our technique successfully identified disease status in bean leaf images, achieving an accuracy of 98.33% with the ResNet50 model.
Spinal dystonia and other spinal movement disorders
Authors: Sarin Shlok , Lawal Temitope , Abboud Hesham
Published: August 2023

While traditionally considered a disorder of the basal ganglia, brainstem, and cerebellum, multiple reports have shown that spinal cord pathologies may lead to dystonia. In this article, we first discuss various spinal movement disorders and the differences between tonic spasms, spinal dystonia, spinal myoclonus, spinal tremors, and paroxysmal dyskinesia. We review potential pathogenesis of spinal dystonia. We then focus on reports of dystonia secondary to spinal cord demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders. We conclude by discussing the potential treatment options for spinal dystonia.
Fabrication of polycaprolactone electrospun fibres with retinyl acetate for antioxidant delivery in a ROS-mimicking environment
Authors: Westwood Lorna , Emmerson Elaine , Callanan Anthony
Published: August 2023

Background: Increased cancer rates denote that one in two people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Over 60% of cancer patients receive radiotherapy, either as a stand-alone treatment or in combination with other treatments such as chemotherapy and surgery. Whilst radiotherapy is effective in destroying cancer cells, it also causes subsequent damage to healthy cells and surrounding tissue due to alterations in the tumor microenvironment and an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS). This can cause extensive damage that impairs tissue function, and the likelihood of tissue regeneration and restoration of function is significantly reduced as new healthy cells cannot survive in the damaged environment. In the treatment of head and neck cancers, radiotherapy can cause salivary gland dysfunction. This significantly impairs the patient’s quality of life and there is currently no cure, only palliative treatment options. Tissue engineering approaches are used to mimic the microenvironment of the tissue and can mediate the damaged microenvironment via bioactive compounds, to support the delivery, survival, and proliferation of new, healthy cells into the damaged environment.

Methods: In this study, retinyl acetate, a derivative of vitamin A, was successfully incorporated into electrospun polycaprolactone fibres.

Results: SEM images and characterization analyses showed that all scaffolds produced had similar characteristics, including fiber morphology and scaffold wettability. The vitamin scaffolds were shown to exert an antioxidant effect through scavenging activity of both DPPH and hydroxyl radicals in vitro. Critically, the antioxidant scaffolds supported the growth of human submandibular gland cells and significantly upregulated the expression of GPx1, an antioxidant enzyme, when cultured under both normal conditions and under a simulated oxidative stress environment.

Discussion: These results suggest that incorporation of retinyl acetate into electrospun fibres has may mediate the damaged microenvironment post cancer radiation therapy.
Conduction system pacing on track to replace CRT? Review of current evidence and prospects of conduction system pacing
Authors: Moustafa Ahmed T. , Tang Anthony SL. , Khan Habib Rehman
Published: August 2023

Conduction system pacing (CSP) has been emerging over the last decade as a pacing option instead of conventional right ventricular (RV) pacing and biventricular (BiV) pacing. Numerous case reports, some observational studies and a few randomized control trials have looked at optimum pacing strategies for heart failure (HF) with left bundle branch block (LBBB) or cases where left ventricular (LV) dysfunction is anticipated due to chronic RV pacing (RVP). Evolution of pacing strategies from standard RVP to septal RVP, BiV pacing and now CSP have shown improving hemodynamic responses and possible ease of implantation of CSP systems. In this review article, we review the literature on the evolution of CSP and common scenarios where it might be beneficial.
Metabolic regulation of endothelial senescence
Authors: Le Nhat-Tu
Published: August 2023

Endothelial cell (EC) senescence is increasingly recognized as a significant contributor to the development of vascular dysfunction and age-related disorders and diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The regulation of cellular senescence is known to be influenced by cellular metabolism. While extensive research has been conducted on the metabolic regulation of senescence in other cells such as cancer cells and fibroblasts, our understanding of the metabolic regulation of EC senescence remains limited. The specific metabolic changes that drive EC senescence are yet to be fully elucidated. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of the intricate interplay between cellular metabolism and senescence, with a particular emphasis on recent advancements in understanding the metabolic changes preceding cellular senescence. I will summarize the current knowledge on the metabolic regulation of EC senescence, aiming to offer insights into the underlying mechanisms and future research directions.
A meta-deep-learning framework for spatio-temporal underwater SSP inversion
Authors: Huang Wei , Li Deshi , Zhang Hao , Xu Tianhe , Yin Feng
Published: August 2023

Sound speed distribution, represented by a sound speed profile (SSP), is of great significance because the nonuniform distribution of sound speed will cause signal propagation path bending with Snell effect, which brings difficulties in precise underwater localization such as emergency rescue. Compared with conventional SSP measurement methods via the conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) or sound-velocity profiler (SVP), SSP inversion methods leveraging measured sound field information have better real-time performance, such as matched field process (MFP), compressed sensing (CS) and artificial neural networks (ANN). Due to the difficulty in measuring empirical SSP data, these methods face with over-fitting problem in few-shot learning that decreases the inversion accuracy. To rapidly obtain accurate SSP, we propose a task-driven meta-deep-learning (TDML) framework for spatio-temporal SSP inversion. The common features of SSPs are learned through multiple base learners to accelerate the convergence of the model on new tasks, and the model’s sensitivity to the change of sound field data is enhanced via meta training, so as to weaken the over-fitting effect and improve the inversion accuracy. Experiment results show that fast and accurate SSP inversion can be achieved by the proposed TDML method.
Postoperative delirium is a risk factor of institutionalization after hip fracture: an observational cohort study
Authors: Labaste François , Delort François , Ferré Fabrice , Bounes Fanny , Reina Nicolas , Valet Philippe , Dray Cédric , Minville Vincent
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Hip fracture is a common clinical problem in geriatric patients often associated with poor postoperative outcomes. Postoperative delirium (POD) and postoperative neurocognitive disorders (NCDs) are particularly frequent. The consequences of these disorders on postoperative recovery and autonomy are not fully described. The aim of this study was to determine the role of POD and NCDs on the need for institutionalization at 3 months after hip fracture surgery.

Method

A population-based prospective cohort study was conducted on hip fracture patients between March 2016 and March 2018. The baseline interview, which included a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), was conducted in the hospital after admission for hip fracture. NCDs were appreciated by MMSE scoring evolution (difference between preoperative MMSE and MMSE at day 5 >2 points). POD was evaluated using the Confusion Assessment Method. The primary endpoint was the rate of new institutionalization at 3 months. We used a multivariate analysis to assess the risk of new institutionalization.

Results

A total of 63 patients were included. Thirteen patients (20.6%) were newly institutionalized at 3 months. Two factors were significantly associated with the risk of postoperative institutionalization at 3 months: POD (OR = 5.23; 95% CI 1.1–27.04; p = 0.04) and IADL evolution (OR = 1.8; 95% CI 1.23–2.74; p = 0.003).

Conclusion

Only POD but not NCDs was associated with the risk of dependency and institutionalization after hip fracture surgery. The prevention of POD appears to be essential for improving patient outcomes and optimizing the potential for returning home.
Successful use of a phage endolysin for treatment of chronic pelvic pain syndrome/chronic bacterial prostatitis
Authors: Stevens Roy H. , Zhang Hongming , Kajsik Michal , Płoski Rafał , Rydzanicz Malgorzata , Sabaka Peter , Šutovský Stanislav
Published: August 2023

Chronic prostatitis (CP) is a common inflammatory condition of the prostate that is estimated to effect 2%–10% of the world’s male population. It can manifest as perineal, suprapubic, or lower back pain and urinary symptoms occurring with either recurrent bacterial infection [chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP)] or in the absence of evidence of bacterial infection [chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS)]. Here, in the case of a 39 years-old CBP patient, we report the first successful use of a bacteriophage-derived muralytic enzyme (endolysin) to treat and resolve the disease. Bacteriological analysis of the patient’s prostatic secretion and semen samples revealed a chronic Enterococcus faecalis prostate infection, supporting a diagnosis of CBP. The patient’s E. faecalis strain was resistant to several antibiotics and developed resistance to others during the course of treatment. Previous treatment with multiple courses of antibiotics, bacteriophages, probiotics, and immunologic stimulation had failed to achieve long term eradication of the infection or lasting mitigation of the symptoms. A cloned endolysin gene, encoded by E. faecalis bacteriophage ϕEf11, was expressed, and the resulting gene product was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity. A seven-day course of treatment with the endolysin resulted in the elimination of the E. faecalis infection to below culturally detectable levels, and the abatement of symptoms to near normal levels. Furthermore, during the endolysin treatment, the patient experienced no untoward reactions. The present report demonstrates the effectiveness of an endolysin as a novel modality in managing a recalcitrant infection that could not be controlled by conventional antibiotic therapy.
Effect of endophytic diazotroph Enterobacter roggenkampii ED5 on nitrogen-metabolism-related microecology in the sugarcane rhizosphere at different nitrogen levels
Authors: Guo Dao-Jun , Li Dong-Ping , Yang Bin , Verma Krishan K. , Singh Rajesh Kumar , Singh Pratiksha , Khan Qaisar , Sharma Anjney , Qin Ying , Zhang Bao-Qing , Song Xiu-Peng , Li Yang-Rui
Published: August 2023

Sugarcane is an important sugar and energy crop worldwide, requiring a large amount of nitrogen (N). However, excessive application of synthetic N fertilizer causes environmental pollution in farmland. Endophytic nitrogen-fixing bacteria (ENFB) provide N nutrition for plants through biological N fixation, thus reducing the need for chemical fertilizers. The present study investigated the effect of the N-fixing endophytic strain Enterobacter roggenkampii ED5 on phytohormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), N-metabolism enzyme activities, microbial community compositions, and N cycle genes in sugarcane rhizosphere soil at different N levels. Three levels of 15N-urea, such as low N (0 kg/ha), medium N (150 kg/ha), and high N (300 kg/ha), were applied. The results showed that, after inoculating strain ED5, the IAA content in sugarcane leaves was significantly increased by 68.82% under low N condition at the seedling stage (60 days). The nitrate reductase (NR) activity showed a downward trend. However, the glutamine synthase (GS) and NADH-glutamate dehydrogenase (NADH-GDH) activities were significantly enhanced compared to the control under the high N condition, and the GS and NR genes had the highest expression at 180 and 120 days, respectively, at the low N level. The total N content in the roots, stems, and leaves of sugarcane was higher than the control. The 15N atom % excess of sugarcane decreased significantly under medium N condition, indicating that the medium N level was conducive to N fixation in strain ED5. Metagenome analysis of sugarcane rhizosphere soil exhibited that the abundance of N-metabolizing microbial richness was increased under low and high N conditions after inoculation of strain ED5 at the genus level, while it was increased at the phylum level only under the low N condition. The LefSe (LDA > 2, p < 0.05) found that the N-metabolism-related differential microorganisms under the high N condition were higher than those under medium and low N conditions. It was also shown that the abundance of nifDHK genes was significantly increased after inoculation of ED5 at the medium N level, and other N cycle genes had high abundance at the high N level after inoculation of strain ED5. The results of this study provided a scientific reference for N fertilization in actual sugarcane production.
The role of SARS-CoV-2 N protein in diagnosis and vaccination in the context of emerging variants: present status and prospects
Authors: Song Wanchen , Fang Zhongbiao , Ma Feike , Li Jiaxuan , Huang Zhiwei , Zhang Yanjun , Li Jianhua , Chen Keda
Published: August 2023

Despite many countries rapidly revising their strategies to prevent contagions, the number of people infected with Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to surge. The emergent variants that can evade the immune response significantly affect the effectiveness of mainstream vaccines and diagnostic products based on the original spike protein. Therefore, it is essential to focus on the highly conserved nature of the nucleocapsid protein as a potential target in the field of vaccines and diagnostics. In this regard, our review initially discusses the structure, function, and mechanism of action of N protein. Based on this discussion, we summarize the relevant research on the in-depth development and application of diagnostic methods and vaccines based on N protein, such as serology and nucleic acid detection. Such valuable information can aid in designing more efficient diagnostic and vaccine tools that could help end the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
Bioinformatics analysis of potential common pathogenic mechanism for carotid atherosclerosis and Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Wang Quan , Xue Qun
Published: August 2023

Background

Cerebrovascular disease (CVD) related to atherosclerosis and Parkinson’s disease (PD) are two prevalent neurological disorders. They share common risk factors and frequently occur together. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between atherosclerosis and PD using genetic databases to gain a comprehensive understanding of underlying biological mechanisms.

Methods

The gene expression profiles of atherosclerosis (GSE28829 and GSE100927) and PD (GSE7621 and GSE49036) were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. After identifying the common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for these two disorders, we constructed protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and functional modules, and further identified hub genes using Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression. The diagnostic effectiveness of these hub genes was evaluated using Receiver Operator Characteristic Curve (ROC) analysis. Furthermore, we used single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) to analyze immune cell infiltration and explored the association of the identified hub genes with infiltrating immune cells through Spearman’s rank correlation analysis in R software.

Results

A total of 50 shared DEGs, with 36 up-regulated and 14 down-regulated genes, were identified through the intersection of DEGs of atherosclerosis and PD. Using LASSO regression, we identified six hub genes, namely C1QB, CD53, LY96, P2RX7, C3, and TNFSF13B, in the lambda.min model, and CD14, C1QB, CD53, P2RX7, C3, and TNFSF13B in the lambda.1se model. ROC analysis confirmed that both models had good diagnostic efficiency for atherosclerosis datasets GSE28829 (lambda.min AUC = 0.99, lambda.1se AUC = 0.986) and GSE100927 (lambda.min AUC = 0.922, lambda.1se AUC = 0.933), as well as for PD datasets GSE7621 (lambda.min AUC = 0.924, lambda.1se AUC = 0.944) and GSE49036 (lambda.min AUC = 0.894, lambda.1se AUC = 0.881). Furthermore, we found that activated B cells, effector memory CD8 + T cells, and macrophages were the shared correlated types of immune cells in both atherosclerosis and PD.

Conclusion

This study provided new sights into shared molecular mechanisms between these two disorders. These common hub genes and infiltrating immune cells offer promising clues for further experimental studies to explore the common pathogenesis of these disorders.
Resilience and stress as predictors of work engagement: the mediating role of self-efficacy in nurses
Authors: Cabrera-Aguilar Elard , Zevallos-Francia Margarita , Morales-García Mardel , Ramírez-Coronel Andrés Alexis , Morales-García Sandra B. , Sairitupa-Sanchez Liset Z. , Morales-García Wilter C.
Published: August 2023

Background

Nurses face high levels of stress and work demands, which can affect their work engagement and psychological well-being. Resilience and self-efficacy have been identified as important resources to improve nurses’ adaptation and work engagement.

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between resilience and stress on work engagement in Peruvian nurses.

Methods

A cross-sectional design was used, and data were collected from a sample of 459 nurses. Self-report questionnaires were administered to measure self-efficacy, resilience, stress, and work engagement. SEM analyses were performed to examine the relationship between these variables, and a mediation analysis was conducted to evaluate the role of self-efficacy as a mediator in the relationship between resilience, stress, and work engagement.

Results

The results indicated a positive relationship between resilience, self-efficacy, and work engagement, as well as a negative relationship between stress and work engagement. Additionally, self-efficacy mediated the relationship between resilience and work engagement, as well as the relationship between stress and work engagement in nurses.

Conclusion

Personal resources such as self-efficacy are a key factor in the relationship between resilience (work resources), stress (work demands), and work engagement of Peruvian nurses. Strengthening self-efficacy and resilience can improve work engagement and personal satisfaction of nurses. Hospital administrators and nursing managers should consider the importance of resilience, stress, work engagement, and self-efficacy in registered nurses and develop effective strategies to improve them. This can have a positive impact on the quality of care provided to patients and on the job satisfaction of nurses.
Psychological, physiological, and biochemical correlations after negative emotional videos in college students with and without premenstrual syndrome
Authors: Xing Jingyu , Wu Hao , Wang Xue , Yi Shuang , Wei Yu , Zhao Yan , Hu Xingang
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) suffer heavily from emotional problems, the pathogenesis of which is believed to be related to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, autonomic nervous system (ANS) and central nervous system (CNS). We took into account all 3 aspects to observed the psychological, physiological and biochemical correlations under anger and sadness in college students with and without PMS.

Methods

33 students with PMS and 24 healthy students participated in the emotion induction experiment, and were required to fill out self-report scales. Their salivary cortisol (SCort), skin conductivity level (SCL), heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure (BP) and electroencephalogram (EEG) data were collected at the resting stage and 10-15 minutes after each video.

Results

Compared to healthy controls, students with PMS showed lower SCort level and higher VLF at rest, and no statistic difference in activities of ANS and HPA axis after emotional videos, but different results in EEG in all conditions. The decreases in SBP during angry video, SCort after angry and neutral videos, and increases in θ band power during sad video were moderately correlated with increases in PMS score. No intergroup differences were found in self-report emotions.

Discussion

Students with PMS had lower activity of HPA axis and possibly higher activity of PNS at rest, and different response patterns in CNS in all conditions. Several EEG frequencies, especially θ band, in specific encephalic regions during emotional videos, as well as declined HPA activities in dealing with angry and neutral stressors, in which γ activity in frontal lobe may play a role, showed moderate correlations with more severe PMS.
A psycho-social-environmental lens on radon air pollutant: authorities’, mitigation contractors’, and residents’ perceptions of barriers and facilitators to domestic radon mitigation
Authors: Hevey David , Perko Tanja , Martell Meritxell , Bradley Gary , Apers Sofie , Rovenská Kateřina Navrátilová
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Radon is a major indoor air pollutant that poses a significant risk of lung cancer to those exposed in their homes. While mitigation of high radon levels in homes has been shown to be effective, home mitigation rates remain low. This study examines the barriers and facilitators to radon mitigation in homes from the perspectives of authorities responsible for radon risk management, the mitigation industry (contractors), and residents in four European countries (Belgium, Ireland, Slovenia, and the UK) with high radon risks and low mitigation rates.

Methods

A multi-method approach was used to gather data from various stakeholders, including online surveys, content analysis of legal documents, group interviews, workshops, and focus groups.

Results

Authorities, contractors, and residents identified various facilitators to radon mitigation, including legal requirements for mitigation, awareness campaigns, low mitigation costs, availability of financial support, accreditation of mitigation contractors, and a perception of radon as a health threat. However, barriers to mitigation were also identified, such as a lack of awareness, fragmented mitigation processes, and inadequate communication between stakeholders.

Discussion

The study highlights the complexity of the radon mitigation process and suggests that interventions aimed at increasing mitigation rates should target stakeholders beyond just residents, such as constructors, health professionals, and policy makers. An integrated approach to radon mitigation, from policy to provision, is necessary to effectively lower levels of this indoor air pollutant.
Fecal microbial transplantation as a novel therapeutic for autism spectrum disorders: a review of the current literature
Authors: Gudka Rebecca , Nyinoh Iveren Winifred
Published: August 2023

Background

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are complex neurobiological conditions with poor long-term outcomes and limited treatment options. The microbiota–gut–brain axis indicates a pathway by which the gut microbiota links to ASDs. Fecal microbial transplantation (FMT), whereby the gut microbiota is replaced with that of a healthy individual, shows promise for the treatment of neurobiological conditions. This review examines the current evidence for the use of FMT as a therapeutic for ASD.

Discussion

ASDs and their associated gastrointestinal symptoms are improved with FMT, potentially due to the engraftment of features of a healthy gut. Longer treatment regimens that include daily maintenance doses appear to be the most effective long-term therapeutic option, with benefits persisting 2 years post-intervention. Evidence is mixed regarding the use of preparatory treatments. Considering the sex bias in ASD research, small sample sizes and the lack of placebo control arms, randomized controlled trials would be of benefit to the evidence base regarding the use of FMT as a therapeutic option for ASD.

Conclusion

FMT is a promising new therapeutic for ASD, but the evidence base is in its infancy.
Hybrid Solenoids Based on Magnetic Shape Memory Alloys
Authors: Mauch Manuel , Hutter Marco , Gundelsweiler Bernd
Published: August 2023

The mobility of today and tomorrow is characterized by technological change and new challenges in drive concepts such as electric or hydrogen vehicles. Abolishing conventional combustion engines creates even more need for switching or valve technology in mobility systems. For switching and controlling purposes, solenoids are used in large numbers and in a wide variety of applications, thus making a significant contribution to the overall success of the energy transition, and not only in the automotive sector. Despite their long existence, continued research is being carried out on solenoids involving new materials and actuator concepts. Great interest is focused on providing an adjustable force–displacement characteristic while simultaneously reducing the noise during switching. At IKFF, research is being conducted on hybrid electromagnets in the border area of switching and holding solenoids. This paper aims to present the major advantages of this hybrid drive concept based on an electromagnetic FEA simulation study of two drive concepts and specially developed and characterized prototypes with magnetic shape memory (MSM) alloys. The concepts differ in the spatial orientation of the MSM sticks to generate an active stroke of the plunger, which contributes to a beneficial force–displacement characteristic and lower power consumption while minimizing switching noise.
Nonlinear Time Series Analysis and Prediction of General Aviation Accidents Based on Multi-Timescales
Authors: Wang Yufei , Zhang Honghai , Shi Zongbei , Zhou Jinlun , Liu Wenquan
Published: August 2023

General aviation accidents have complex interactions and influences within them that cannot be simply explained and predicted by linear models. This study is based on chaos theory and uses general aviation accident data to conduct research on different timescales (HM-scale, ET-scale, and EF-scale). First, time series are constructed by excluding seasonal patterns from the statistics of general aviation accidents. Secondly, the chaotic properties of multi-timescale series are determined by the 0–1 test and Lyapunov exponent. Finally, by introducing the sparrow search algorithm and tent chaotic mapping, a CSSA-LSSVM prediction model is proposed. The accident data of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) of the United States in the past 15 years is selected for case analysis. The results show that the phase diagram of the 0–1 test presents Brownian motion characteristics, and the maximum Lyapunov exponents of the three scales are all positive, proving the chaotic characteristics of multi-timescale series. The CSSA-LSSVM prediction model’s testing results illustrate its superiority in time series predicting, and when the timescale declines, the prediction error reduces gradually while the fitting effect strengthens and then decreases. This study uncovers the nonlinear chaotic features of general aviation accidents and demonstrates the significance of multi-timescale research in time series analysis and prediction.
EVTOL Tilt-Wing Aircraft Design under Uncertainty Using a Multidisciplinary Possibilistic Approach
Authors: Rostami Mohsen , Bardin Julian , Neufeld Daniel , Chung Joon
Published: August 2023

Recent development in Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft makes it a popular design approach for urban air mobility (UAM). When designing these configurations, due to the uncertainty present in semi-empirical estimations, often used for aerodynamic characteristics during the conceptual design phase, results can only be trusted to approximately 80% accuracy. Accordingly, an optimized aircraft using semi-empirical estimations and deterministic multi-disciplinary design optimization (MDO) approaches can be at risk of not being certifiable in the detailed design phase of the life cycle. The focus of this study was to implement a robust and efficient possibility-based design optimization (PBDO) method for the MDO of an eVTOL tilt-wing aircraft in the conceptual design phase, using existing conventional designs as an initial configuration. As implemented, the optimization framework utilizes a deterministic gradient-based optimizer, run sequentially with a possibility assessment algorithm, to select an optimal design. To achieve this, the uncertainties which arise from multi-fidelity calculations, such as semi-empirical methods, are considered and used to modify the final design such that its viability is guaranteed in the detailed design phase. With respect to various requirements, including trim, stability, and control behaviors, the optimized eVTOL tilt-wing aircraft design offers the preferred results which ensure that airworthiness criteria are met whilst complying with predefined constraints. The proposed approach may be used to revise currently available light aircraft and develop eVTOL versions from the original light aircraft. The resulting aircraft is not only an optimized layout but one where the stability of the eVTOL tilt-wing aircraft has been guaranteed.
An In-Depth Presentation of the ‘rhoneycomb’ R Package to Construct and Analyze Field-Experimentation ‘Honeycomb Selection Designs’
Authors: Katsileros Anastasios , Antonetsis Nikolaos , Gkika Maria-Georgia , Tani Eleni , Bebeli Penelope J. , Tokatlidis Ioannis
Published: August 2023

The Honeycomb Selection Design (HSD) is an innovative experimental method whose main feature is the even and systematic entry arrangement. Its systematicity, if combined with the absence of inter-plant competition that maximizes the phenotypic expression and differentiation of individual plants, enables the implementation of single-plant selection as early as the initial generations of genetic segregation, facilitating plant breeders to identify superior genotypes. Due to the specificity of entry allocation and the complexity of statistical data analysis, a specialized software becomes necessary. This article provides a detailed presentation of the ‘rhoneycomb’, a free and open-source R package concerning the construction, visualization, and analysis of HSDs.
Diversity Assessment of Winged Bean [Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC.] Accessions from IITA Genebank
Authors: Shonde Temitope Esther Olatunde , Adebayo Moses Adeolu , Bhadmus Ayomide Ajoke , Adejumobi Idris Ishola , Oyatomi Olaniyi A. , Faloye Benjamin , Abberton Michael T.
Published: August 2023

The capability of winged bean to support food and nutrition security in sub-Saharan Africa is recurrently being affected by several constraints, which include a lack of genetic improvement. The dearth of adequate information on the level of available genetic diversity in winged bean germplasm has been a major setback in planning appropriate improvement programs. Fifteen winged bean accessions were assessed for genetic diversity using 10 quantitative traits and 10 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The accessions were laid out in RCBD with three replicates for two growing seasons. Leaf samples were obtained from 10 plants representing each accession for SSR marker genotyping. The accessions exhibited significant (p < 0.05) differences for measured traits. Broad-sense heritability estimates varied from 10.31% for days to first plant maturity to 72.67% for pod weight. Pod weight had a positive and significant correlations with pod length (0.53, p < 0.05), pod width (0.70, p < 0.01), and number of seeds per pod (0.64, p < 0.01). However, the number of seeds per pod was negatively correlated with days to maturity (−0.71, p < 0.01). Number of seeds per pod was positively predicted by pod weight, seed thickness, and days to maturity. Cluster analysis delineated the accessions into two distinct groups. Average number of alleles of 4.2, gene diversity of 0.25, and polymorphic information content of 0.22 were recorded. Analysis of molecular variance revealed intra-accession variation of 95% as compared to inter-accession variation of 5%. Two primary genetic groups were identified and only three accessions, namely TPt-6, TPt-126, and TPt-48, showed genetic purity. The results of this study provide the basis for exploiting the existing diversity for winged bean improvement.
Using Low-Cost Sensing Technology to Assess Ambient and Indoor Fine Particulate Matter Concentrations in New York during the COVID-19 Lockdown
Authors: Holder Justin , Jordan Jamelia , Johnson Kera , Akinremi Ayodele , Roberts-Semple Dawn
Published: August 2023

Air pollution is a leading cause of death in the United States and is associated with adverse health outcomes, including increased vulnerability to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The AirBeam2 was used to measure particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 μm or smaller (PM2.5) to investigate differences between indoor and ambient levels at seven private homes in New York during and after the COVID-19 lockdown. Measurements taken in 2020 fall, 2021 winter, and 2022 fall showed that at 90% of the sites, indoor PM2.5 levels exceeded outdoor levels both during and after the COVID-19 lockdown, p = 0.03, possibly exceeding safety levels. Higher indoor PM2.5 levels attributed to little or no ventilation in the basement and kitchens from cooking and smoke were greater in fall than in winter. Higher ambient PM2.5 levels were attributed to vehicular traffic at a street-facing sampling site. PM2.5 sources identified in this study may help in devising control strategies to improve indoor air quality (IAQ) and consequently alleviate respiratory health effects. These findings may be used as a basis for in-house modifications, including natural ventilation and the use of air purifiers to reduce exposures, mitigate future risks, and prevent potential harm to vulnerable residents.
Size-Controlled Ammonium-Based Homopolymers as Broad-Spectrum Antibacterials
Authors: Haktaniyan Meltem , Sharma Richa , Bradley Mark
Published: August 2023

Ammonium group containing polymers possess inherent antimicrobial properties, effectively eliminating or preventing infections caused by harmful microorganisms. Here, homopolymers based on monomers containing ammonium groups were synthesized via Reversible Addition Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization (RAFT) and evaluated as potential antibacterial agents. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated against Gram-positive (M. luteus and B. subtilis) and Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli and S. typhimurium). Three polymers, poly(diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride), poly([2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride), and poly(vinyl benzyl trimethylammonium chloride), were examined to explore the effect of molecular weight (10 kDa, 20 kDa, and 40 kDa) on their antimicrobial activity and toxicity to mammalian cells. The mechanisms of action of the polymers were investigated with dye-based assays, while Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) showed collapsed and fused bacterial morphologies due to the interactions between the polymers and components of the bacterial cell envelope, with some polymers proving to be bactericidal and others bacteriostatic, while being non-hemolytic. Among all the homopolymers, the most active, non-Gram-specific polymer was poly([2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride), with a molecular weight of 40 kDa, with minimum inhibitory concentrations between 16 and 64 µg/mL, showing a bactericidal mode of action mediated by disruption of the cytoplasmic membrane. This homopolymer could be useful in biomedical applications such as surface dressings and in areas such as eye infections.
Effects of Supplementation with the Standardized Extract of Saffron (affron®) on the Kynurenine Pathway and Melatonin Synthesis in Rats
Authors: De la Fuente Muñoz Mario , Román-Carmena Marta , Amor Sara , García-Villalón Ángel Luís , Espinel Alberto E. , González-Hedström Daniel , Granado García Miriam
Published: August 2023

Melatonin is a hormone that regulates sleep–wake cycles and is mainly synthesized in the pineal gland from tryptophan after its conversion into serotonin. Under normal conditions, less than 5% of tryptophan is reserved for the synthesis of serotonin and melatonin. The remaining 95% is metabolized in the liver through the kynurenine pathway. Increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines and cortisol increase the metabolism of tryptophan through the kynurenine pathway and reduce its availability for the synthesis of melatonin and serotonin, which may cause alterations in mood and sleep. The standardized saffron extract (affron®) has shown beneficial effects on mood and sleep disorders in humans, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Thus, the aim of this work was to study the effects of affron® supplementation on the kynurenine pathway and the synthesis of melatonin in rats. For this purpose, adult male Wistar rats were supplemented for 7 days with 150 mg/kg of affron® or vehicle (2 mL/kg water) administered by gavage one hour before sleep. Affron® supplementation reduced body weight gain and increased the circulating levels of melatonin, testosterone, and c-HDL. Moreover, animals supplemented with affron® showed decreased serum levels of kynurenine, ET-1, and c-LDL. In the pineal gland, affron® reduced Il-6 expression and increased the expression of Aanat, the key enzyme for melatonin synthesis. In the liver, affron® administration decreased the mRNA levels of the enzymes of the kynurenine pathway Ido-2, Tod-2, and Aadat, as well as the gene expression of Il-1β and Tnf-α. Finally, rats treated with affron® showed increased mRNA levels of the antioxidant enzymes Ho-1, Sod-1, Gsr, and Gpx-3, both in the liver and in the pineal gland. In conclusion, affron® supplementation reduces kynurenine levels and promotes melatonin synthesis in rats, possibly through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, making this extract a possible alternative for the treatment and/or prevention of mood and sleep disorders.
A Wide-Area Measurement System-Based Load Encroachment Identification Method Applicable to Power Systems with High Wind Power Penetration
Authors: Xie Dan , Chen Qing , Sun Ye , Shao Ning , Dong Yuzhan , Ding Wei
Published: August 2023

One of the main factors in triggering cascading outages is the unexpected tripping of backup protection caused by load encroachment (LE). Hence, LE should be identified quickly to avoid unexpected tripping. This paper proposes a fast LE identification method based on the wide-area measurement system (WAMS), applicable to transmission grids with high wind power penetration. Firstly, based on the improved shortest path algorithm, the method searches for critical lines greatly affected by the LE to determine the collected range of wide-area information. Then, by analyzing the hidden dangers of the existing calculation method for the active power estimation value (APEV) in the power system with wind farms, a fast calculation method of the APEV based on the WAMS is proposed to ensure that the existing LE identification criterion is still applicable in the high-penetration system of wind power. Finally, based on the PSASP platform, the wind farm model is integrated into the IEEE 39-bus New England system for simulation. The simulation results show that the method proposed in this paper can quickly search for the critical line set (CLS) and accurately identify the LE under high wind power penetration, effectively avoiding the unexpected tripping of backup protection and preventing cascading outages.
Experimental Study and Bearing Capacity Analysis of Retrofitted Built-Up Steel Angle Members under Axial Compression
Authors: Li Junxin , Wu Xiaohong , Yang Bin , Wang Jiaqi , Sun Qing
Published: August 2023

Against the update of load design standards and requirement of long-term service, many latticed towers using steel angles subjected to gradual performance degradation must be retrofitted for bearing further social functions, e.g., electric power transmission and fifth-generation mobile communication. Therefore, this paper proposed a non-destructive reinforcement method for steel angles by avoiding unnecessary new construction or complex reinforcement procedure. The non-destructive reinforcement of a steel angle is composed of a steel angle, reinforcement plate, and fixture. Standardized fixtures are used to connect the reinforcement plate and steel angle to achieve steel angle reinforcement. In retrofitting tests, built-up steel angle members were loaded under axial compression, in which the failure mode and reinforcement effect of key parameters (e.g., clamp type, slenderness ratio, and clamp distance) were analyzed and compared, where a significant reinforcement effect was obtained with the capacity increment within 39~174%; the clamp types and clamp distance had a slight effect on bearing capacity; and the proposed reinforcement method was more effective for slender members. Based on the mechanical mechanism analysis and failure mode, the accuracy of the design method for calculating the bearing capacity of those built-up steel angle members was suggested and verified, in which a simplified mechanical model for the flexural-buckling mode was developed. The design method based on AISC360-16 agreed well with the test result and could be effectively used for calculating the flexural–torsional bearing capacity of those built-up steel angles. This study can provide a valuable reference for the design and application of non-destructive reinforcement of angle steel towers.
Experimental Investigation on Plume Characteristics of PTFE-Filled Carbon, Graphite, Graphene for Laser-Assisted Pulsed Plasma Thruster
Authors: Li Yuqi , Ou Yang , Wu Jianjun , Zhang Yu
Published: August 2023

This paper presents an investigation into the plume characteristics of composite propellants fabricated by polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) filled with different carbon additives (nano-carbon powder, graphite, and graphene) under laser irradiation in a vacuum environment. The dynamic plumes generated by the laser ablation of different modified propellant samples were captured using a high-speed camera, and the feature parameters of the plumes were extracted by image processing. The results indicated that doping carbon particles in PTFE enhanced the quality of the plasma plumes. The plume area increased up to a certain value and then stabilized, while end of plume clusters remained for a short time. Further analysis revealed that the propellant sample doped with graphene exhibited the maximum plume length and expansion rate, whereas the propellant sample doped with nano-carbon demonstrated the largest plume area. Moreover, a higher graphene doping ratio promoted greater plume length, expansion speed, and plume area. However, when the doping ratio exceeded 3%, the gain of the plume parameters gradually became saturated, and the optimal doping ratio appeared to be 5%.
Output Force Density Saturation in COMSOL Simulations of Biomimetic Artificial Muscles
Authors: Coltelli Michelangelo A. , Keeven Joshua M. , Leckie Jacob M. , Catterlin Jeffrey K. , Sadagic Amela , Kartalov Emil P.
Published: August 2023

Many modern applications, such as undersea drones, exoskeletal suits, all-terrain walker drones, prosthetics, and medical augments, would greatly benefit from artificial muscles. Such may be built through 3D-printed microfluidic devices that mimic biological muscles and actuate electrostatically. Our preliminary results from COMSOL simulations of individual devices and small arrays (2 × 2 × 1) established the basic feasibility of this approach. Herein, we report on the extension of this work to N × N × 10 arrays where Nmax = 13. For each N, parameter sweeps were performed to determine the maximal output force density, which, when plotted vs. N, exhibited saturation behavior for N ≥ 10. This indicates that COMSOL simulations of a 10 × 10 × 10 array of this type are sufficient to predict the behavior of far larger arrays. Also, the saturation force density was ~9 kPa for the 100 μm scale. Both results are very important for the development of 3D-printable artificial muscles and their applications, as they indicate that computationally accessible simulation sizes would provide sufficiently accurate quantitative predictions of the force density output and overall performance of macro-scale arrays of artificial muscle fibers. Hence, simulations of new geometries can be done rapidly and with quantitative results that are directly extendable to full-scale prototypes, thereby accelerating the pace of research and development in the field of actuators.