bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sensitivity Analysis of Wing Geometric and Kinematic Parameters for the Aerodynamic Performance of Hovering Flapping Wing
Authors: Lang Xinyu , Song Bifeng , Yang Wenqing , Yang Xiaojun , Xue Dong
Published: January 2023

The wing planform and flapping kinematics are critical for the hovering flight of flapping wing micro air vehicles (FWMAVs). The degree of influence of wing geometry and kinematic parameters on aerodynamic performance still lacks in-depth analysis. In this study, a sensitivity analysis was conducted based on the quasi-steady aerodynamic model. Each parameter was investigated independently by using the control variable method. The degree of each variable’s influence on lift, power, and power loading is evaluated and compared. Furthermore, detailed exponential relationships were established between the parameters and the corresponding aerodynamic properties. It is found that, for the geometric parameters, wing area has the greatest influence on lift, and the distribution of area has the most visible effect on aerodynamic power. All geometric parameters are negatively correlated with power loading. For the kinematic parameters, flapping frequency, compared with sweeping amplitude, results in faster lift growth and slower drop in power loading, while their influence on aerodynamic power is nearly comparable. A moderate pitching amplitude with advanced rotation will maximize the lift. For the flapping trajectory, lift and power loading are primarily affected by the shape of the pitching motion rather than the sweeping motion. But the sweeping motion seems to dominate the power consumption. The research in this paper is helpful to understand the effect of each parameter and provide theoretical guidance for the development of FWMAVs.
Determination of the Optimal Dietary Amino Acid Ratio Based on Egg Quality for Japanese Quail Breeder
Authors: Carvalho Lizia C. , Malheiros Dimitri , Lima Michele B. , Mani Tatyany S. A. , Pavanini Jaqueline A. , Malheiros Ramon D. , Silva Edney P.
Published: January 2023

The objective of this study was to determine the ideal amino acid ratio for Japanese quail based on egg quality. In total, 120 Japanese quail were used. A completely randomized design was used with 12 treatments and 10 replicates per treatment. The treatments consisted of a balanced protein (BP) and the subsequent 11 diets were obtained by the 40% deletion of the BP a specific test for Lys, Met + Cys, Thr, Trp, Arg, Gly + Ser, Val, Ile, Leu, His, and Phr + Tyr. The trial lasted for 25 days. At the end of the trial, egg weight (EW), albumen height, albumen diameter, albumen index, yolk height, yolk diameter, yolk index, Haugh unit, eggshell weight (ESW), and eggshell percentage were measured. The ideal ratio was calculated when a statistical difference was detected using Dunnett’s test. Only the EW and ESW variables differed from those of BP. The ideal amino acid ratios considering Lys as 100 for EW and ESW were Met + Cys 82 and 83, Thr 60 and 68, Trp 18 and 21, Arg 109 and 112, Gly + Ser 99 and 102, Val 77 and 87, Ile 61 and 67, Leu 155 and 141, His 34 and 37, Phe + Try 134 and 133, respectively.
High-Temperature Influences Plant Bio-Stimulant-like Effects of the Combination Particle Film-Forming Materials-Foliar Fertilizers on Apple Trees
Authors: Sîrbu Carmen Eugenia , Deșliu-Avram Mălina , Cioroianu Traian Mihai , Constantinescu-Aruxandei Diana , Oancea Florin
Published: January 2023

Particle film forming materials were introduced as a solution to reduce the effects of excessive solar irradiation on plant photosynthesis. Covering plant leaves with particle films leads to plant bio-stimulant-like effects: increased protection against abiotic stress and increased fruit quality. We used zeolites and diatomaceous earth carriers for foliar fertilizer, known for their application as particle film-forming material. The aim of this paper was to investigate the plant bio-stimulant-like effects of this combined two-in-one product on the yield of apple trees and their photosynthetic pigments and fruit quality. The experiments were conducted for two years, 2021 and 2022, which had different agroclimatic patterns: 2021 had a deficit of precipitation, whereas 2022 was warmer by more than +4.8 °C compared to the recorded average temperature. Applying particle film-forming material and foliar fertilizer reduces the degradation of the photosynthetic pigments by drought and excessive solar radiation by 25–30%. In the year with a deficit of precipitation there was an increased yield by an additional 11.56–12.38% and the fruit quality similarly increased. Such effects of these combined two-in-one products were limited in 2022 as the temperature was higher than normal by several degrees.
Can Soil Moisture and Crop Production Be Influenced by Different Cropping Systems?
Authors: Ratke Rafael Felippe , Zuffo Alan Mario , Steiner Fábio , Aguilera Jorge González , de Godoy Matheus Liber , Gava Ricardo , de Oliveira Job Teixeira , Filho Tercio Alberto dos Santos , Viana Paulo Roberto Nunes , Ratke Luis Paulo Tomaz , Ancca Sheda Méndez , Campano Milko Raúl Rivera , Gonzales Hebert Hernán Soto
Published: January 2023

The different conditions of soil vegetation cover combined with irrigation management and/or agricultural production systems can influence soil moisture content and crop yields. This study investigated the impact of agricultural production systems and center pivot irrigation management on soil moisture content during the cultivation of soybean and off-season corn crops. Two field experiments were conducted during the 2018–2019 growing season in tropical Cerrado soil conditions; one experiment consisted of the application of three irrigation water depths (0%, 50%, and 100% of the crop evapotranspiration) during soybean cultivation in a no-tillage system under ruzigrass (Urochloa ruziziensis) straw, and the second experiment consisted of the intercropped or nonintercropped cultivation of corn hybrids with ruzigrass in an agricultural area with and without the influence of eucalyptus reforestation. The volumetric soil moisture was measured using an electronic soil moisture meter (Hidrofarm), and the 1000-grain mass and yield of the soybean and corn were measured in the two trials. Irrigation and the no-till system did not influence soybean yields. The soybean cultivars NA 5909 RG and TMG 7067 IPRO presented TGM above 180 g, and this represented on average a 22% higher TGM than the BMX DESAFIO RR and CD 2737 RR. The presence of eucalyptus forest promoted a 1.5% increase in soil moisture in the corn crop. Soil management systems, such as irrigation, use cover crops, which may not increase the productivity of soybean and corn crops as expected.
Response of Temperate Leymus chinensis Meadow Steppe Plant Community Composition, Biomass Allocation, and Species Diversity to Nitrogen and Phosphorus Addition
Authors: Zhang Chu , Xin Xiaoping , Zhang Yu , Wang Miao , Chen Sisi , Yu Tianqi , Li Yingxin , Yang Guixia , Yan Ruirui
Published: January 2023

Studies on the impacts of fertilization on plant production and species diversity are crucial for better maintaining the stability of grassland ecosystems and restoring degraded grasslands. Using a controlled fertilization experimental platform in a temperate Leymus chinensis meadow steppe ecosystem, the effects of different levels of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) addition on plant community structure, biomass allocation, diversity, and the correlation relationship were explored. The major results were as follows: (1) The structural composition of the plant community changed after different levels of N and P addition; the dominance ratio and biomass of Poaceae plants increased gradually with increasing N and P addition levels. (2) The addition of N and P increased the height, density and coverage of the plant community, the biomass of the dominant L. chinensis and plant community and the total productivity of grassland, and reduced the root–shoot ratio of grassland biomass. For example, plant community biomass, gramineous plant biomass and grassland total productivity increased by 84.46–204.08%, 162.64–424.20%, and 38.12–46.44%, respectively, after N and P addition. (3) The community richness, diversity, and evenness indices decreased overall and showed binomial regression after N and P addition; the functional group of Poaceae plants was highly significantly negatively correlated with species diversity indices and was highly significantly positively correlated with the aboveground biomass of L. chinensis and community; Leguminosae plants and Ranunculaceae plants were highly significantly positively correlated with Margalef and Patrick richness indices; Ranunculaceae plants were highly significantly and negatively correlated with L. chinensis biomass, community biomass, and Poaceae plants. Moderate fertilization not only improved the plant community structure and productivity but was also beneficial for maintaining the grassland species diversity and stability.
Effects of the Continuous Cropping and Soilborne Diseases of Panax Ginseng C. A. Meyer on Rhizosphere Soil Physicochemical Properties, Enzyme Activities, and Microbial Communities
Authors: Chen Fuhui , Xie Yongjun , Jia Qingwen , Li Shuyan , Li Shiyong , Shen Naikun , Jiang Mingguo , Wang Yibing
Published: January 2023

Continuous cropping and soilborne diseases affect soil properties and soil microbial diversity and structure, which are the main factors posing obstacles to the continuous cropping of ginseng. This study explored the response of the physicochemical properties, enzyme activity, and microbial community of ginseng rhizosphere soil to continuous cropping and soilborne disease (root rot of ginseng). We used woodland soil without ginseng planting as a control to study these changes. The results showed that continuous cropping and soilborne disease significantly affected soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, and microbial communities. The levels of total nitrogen, hydrolyzable nitrogen, organic matter, and soil pH decreased significantly, while available phosphorus, available potassium, total phosphorus, and total potassium showed significant accumulation after continuous cropping. The activities of urease, catalase, sucrase, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, and polyphenol oxidase decreased significantly after continuous cropping. Using MiSeq high-throughput sequencing, we found that the alpha diversity and the number of bacterial and fungal communities significantly changed after continuous cropping and soilborne disease. A redundancy analysis suggests that soil physicochemical properties and enzyme activities also affect soil microbial communities. In summary, this study revealed the effects of continuous cropping and soilborne disease on soil and provides a theoretical basis for alleviating soilborne disease in ginseng.
Estimation of Relative Chlorophyll Content in Spring Wheat Based on Multi-Temporal UAV Remote Sensing
Authors: Wu Qiang , Zhang Yongping , Zhao Zhiwei , Xie Min , Hou Dingyi
Published: January 2023

Relative chlorophyll content (SPAD) is an important index for characterizing the nitrogen nutrient status of plants. Continuous, rapid, nondestructive, and accurate estimation of SPAD values in wheat after heading stage can positively impact subsequent nitrogen fertilization management strategies, which regulate grain filling and yield quality formation. In this study, the estimation of SPAD of leaf relative chlorophyll content in spring wheat was conducted at the experimental base in Wuyuan County, Inner Mongolia in 2021. Multispectral images of different nitrogen application levels at 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after the wheat heading stage were acquired by DJI P4M UAV. A total of 26 multispectral vegetation indices were constructed, and the measured SPAD values of wheat on the ground were obtained simultaneously using a handheld chlorophyll meter. Four machine learning algorithms, including deep neural networks (DNN), partial least squares (PLS), random forest (RF), and Adaptive Boosting (Ada) were used to construct SPAD value estimation models at different time from heading growth stages. The model’s progress was evaluated by the coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute error (MAPE). The results showed that the optimal SPAD value estimation models for different periods of independent reproductive growth stages of wheat were different, with PLS as the optimal estimation model at 7 and 14 days after heading, RF as the optimal estimation model at 21 days after heading, and Ada as the optimal estimation model at 28 d after heading. The highest accuracy was achieved using the PLS model for estimating SPAD values at 14 d after heading (training set R2 = 0.767, RMSE = 3.205, MAPE = 0.060, and R2 = 0.878, RMSE = 2.405, MAPE = 0.045 for the test set). The combined analysis concluded that selecting multiple vegetation indices as input variables of the model at 14 d after heading stage and using the PLS model can significantly improve the accuracy of SPAD value estimation, provides a new technical support for rapid and accurate monitoring of SPAD values in spring wheat.
Multiple Resistance to Three Modes of Action of Herbicides in a Single Italian Ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.) Population in China
Authors: Zhu Guangtao , Wang Hao , Gao Haitao , Liu Ying , Li Jun , Feng Zhike , Dong Liyao
Published: January 2023

Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.), a cross-pollinated grass, is gradually becoming a predominant weed in wheat fields in China and is evolving resistance to many groups of herbicides. The aim of this study is to determine the resistance levels of a single L. multiflorum population from a wheat field in Henan Province China, to three modes of action (MoAs) of herbicides and to further characterize the potential resistance mechanisms. This L. multiflorum population evolved multiple herbicide resistances to pyroxsulam [acetolactate synthase (ALS)], pinoxaden [acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase)] and isoproturon [photosystem II (PSII)]. Target-site resistance (TSR) mutations (Pro-197-Gln, Pro-197-Thr, and Trp-574-Leu) and non-target-site resistance (NTSR) mediated by cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (CYP450) genes were associated with pyroxsulam resistance. Pinoxaden resistance was conferred by two TSR mutations, which referred to a rare Ile-2041-Val mutation and a common Ile-1781-Leu mutation but with two different nucleotide substitutions (CTA/TTA). CYP450- and glutathione-S-transferase (GST)-mediated resistances were the main resistance mechanisms for this multiple herbicide-resistant (MHR) population to the PSII inhibitor isoproturon. This is the first case of a single L. multiflorum population evolving multiple resistance to three herbicide MoAs (ALS, ACCase and PSII) in China. Diverse resistance mechanisms including TSR and NTSR mean L. multiflorum exhibits a high degree of resistance plasticity.
Harvest and Post-Harvest Performance of Autumn-Winter Butterhead Lettuce as Affected by Nitrogen and Azoxystrobin Application
Authors: Bonasia Anna , Conversa Giulia , Lazzizera Corrado , Elia Antonio
Published: January 2023

An autumn-winter trial was carried out in Southern Italy in open-field conditions on butterhead lettuce to investigate the effect of the nitrogen (N) fertilizer rate (0, 50, and 100 kg ha−1, N0, N50, N100) and the application of the azoxystrobin, sprayed twice in an earlier vs. a later application scheme, specifically at 65/85 or 65/100 days after transplantation. An untreated control was also included. The evaluation of the product quality was conducted on fresh and stored shredded leaves. The N50 was a suitable rate for autumn-winter butterhead lettuce, but it does not guarantee the color appearance of the fresh leaves (lowest h°, highest L*). Concerning post-harvest changes, the N50- and N100-product were less suitable for storage, accounting for higher decay of visual quality (h°) and physiological senescence (EL) indices. Irrespective of N rate and application time, azoxystrobin improved growth and yield (+16%), visual (lower L*, higher h°, and chlorophylls), and nutritional (higher carotenoids and antioxidant capacity) quality of the fresh leaves. The application of azoxystrobin improved the shelf-life of butterhead lettuce leaves, by keeping higher turgidity (RWC), lower color decay (CHLs, h°), and higher nutritional value (carotenoids), and by limiting the browning spreading in shredded leaves.
Serological and Uterine Biomarkers for Detecting Endometritis in Mares
Authors: Cecchini Gualandi Stefano , Di Palma Tommaso , Boni Raffaele
Published: January 2023

Serological analysis may provide relevant information on endometritis diagnostics. Therefore, mares scheduled for AI with refrigerated semen, at the time of heat signs, underwent blood and uterine fluid samplings using a swab, uterine lavage for culture analysis, and treatment with human chorionic gonadotropin to induce ovulation. After 24–28 h, the mares were inseminated and, if positive at the culture test, treated with antibiotics chosen based on the susceptibility test. Uterine cells obtained by swabs were used for cytological examination with both classical and fluorescence techniques. Blood serum and uterine fluid samples were analyzed for assessing parameters related to redox balance, inflammation, and protease regulator potential. In blood serum, total antioxidant capacity, measured as the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP), was significantly lower in cytologically endometritis-positive than -negative mares. In the uterine fluid, total thiol levels (TTL), nitric oxide metabolites (NOx), protease activity and total protein content varied significantly between groups. Although the cytological examination was more capable of discriminating between endometritis-positive and -negative mares in relation to the parameters examined, no statistically significant differences emerged in terms of pregnancy rate in relation to cytological and culture diagnosis as well as in mares diagnosed as positive and negative for endometritis.
Placebo or Nocebo Interventions as Affected by Hypnotic Susceptibility
Authors: Sharav Yair , Haviv Yaron , Tal Michael
Published: January 2023

The purpose of the present study was to examine placebo and nocebo effects under hypnotic analgesia in lowly hypnotizable (LH) and highly hypnotizable (HH) subjects. A placebo and nocebo, obtained in a two-step intervention (verbal expectation and conditioning), were studied in 12 LH and 12 HH subjects under hypnosis. Visual analog scales (VASs) of pain intensity were recorded in response to short, painful electrical stimuli. VAS scores of placebo-produced analgesia differed significantly from nocebo-produced hyperalgesia in the LH subjects. Placebo intervention combined with hypnotic analgesia in LH subjects led to an analgesic degree similar to that achieved in the HH subjects. Yet, no difference was detected between the placebo and the nocebo effects on the HH subjects. Expectations for placebo and nocebo were significantly higher in the LH subjects than in the HH subjects. It seems that the HH subjects were more “tuned” to an inner trait that made them less susceptible to contextual cues, and therefore, more resistant to placebo/nocebo interventions. The ability to achieve hypnotic analgesia in LH subjects to the degree reached in the HH subjects under combined placebo intervention and hypnosis induction is of clinical significance. Combining placebo intervention with the induction of hypnotic analgesia could markedly improve analgesia, regardless of the patients’ hypnotic susceptibility.
Face Mask Detection on Photo and Real-Time Video Images Using Caffe-MobileNetV2 Transfer Learning
Authors: Kumar B. Anil , Bansal Mohan
Published: January 2023

Face detection systems have generally been used primarily for non-masked faces, which include relevant facial characteristics such as the ears, chin, lips, nose, and eyes. Masks are necessary to cover faces in many situations, such as pandemics, crime scenes, medical settings, high pollution, and laboratories. The COVID-19 epidemic has increased the requirement for people to use protective face masks in public places. Analysis of face detection technology is crucial with blocked faces, which typically have visibility only in the periocular area and above. This paper aims to implement a model on complex data, i.e., by taking tasks for the face detection of people from the photo and in real-time video images with and without a mask. This task is implemented based on the features around their eyes, ears, nose, and forehead by using the original masked and unmasked images to form a baseline for face detection. The idea of performing such a task is by using the Caffe-MobileNetV2 (CMNV2) model for feature extraction and masked image classification. The convolutional architecture for the fast feature embedding Caffe model is used as a face detector, and the MobileNetV2 is used for mask identification. In this work, five different layers are added to the pre-trained MobileNetV2 architecture for better classification accuracy with fewer training parameters for the given data for face mask detection. Experimental results revealed that the proposed methodology performed well, with an accuracy of 99.64% on photo images and good accuracy on real-time video images. Other metrics show that the model outperforms previous models with a precision of 100%, recall of 99.28%, f1-score of 99.64%, and an error rate of 0.36%. Face mask detection was originally a form of computing application, but it is now widely used in other technological areas such as smartphones and artificial intelligence. Computer-based masked-face detection belongs in the category of biometrics, since it includes using a person’s unique features to identify them with a mask on.
CREBAS: Computer-Based REBA Evaluation System for Wood Manufacturers Using MediaPipe
Authors: Jeong Seong-oh , Kook Joongjin
Published: January 2023

Recently, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) caused by repetitive working postures in industrial sites have emerged as one of the biggest problems in the field of industrial health. The risk of MSDs caused by the repetitive working postures of workers is quantitatively evaluated by using NLE (NIOSH Lifting Equation), OWAS (Ovako Working-posture Analysis System), RULA (Rapid Upper Limb Assessment), REBA (Rapid Entire Body Assessment), etc. Methods used for the working posture analysis include vision-based analysis and motion capture analysis. Vision-based analysis is a method where an expert with ergonomics knowledge watches and manually analyzes recorded working images. Although the analysis is inexpensive, it takes a lot of time to analyze. In addition, the analyst’s subjective opinions or mistakes may be reflected in the results, so it may be somewhat unreliable. On the other hand, motion capture analysis can obtain more accurate and consistent results, but its measurement equipment is very expensive and it requires a large space for measurement. In this paper, we propose a computer-based automated REBA system that can evaluate, automatically and consistently, working postures in order to supplement the shortcomings of these existing methods. The CREBA system uses the body detection learning model of MediaPipe to detect the worker’s area in the recorded images and sets the body area based on the position of the face, detected using the face tracking learning model. In the set area, the positions of joints are tracked using the posture tracking learning model, and the angles of joints are calculated based on the joint positions using the inverse kinematics, and then by automatically calculating the degree of load of the working posture with the REBA evaluation method. In order to verify the accuracy of the evaluation results of the CREBA system, we compared them with the experts’ vision-based REBA evaluation results. The result of the experiment showed a slight difference of about 1.0 points between the evaluation results of the expert group and those of the CREBA system. It is expected that the ergonomic analysis method for the working posture used in this study will reduce workers’ labor intensity and improve their safety and efficiency.
Automation of Experimental Modal Analysis Using Bayesian Optimization
Authors: Ellinger Johannes , Beck Leopold , Benker Maximilian , Hartl Roman , Zaeh Michael F.
Published: January 2023

The dynamic characterization of structures by means of modal parameters offers many valuable insights into the vibrational behavior of these structures. However, modal parameter estimation has traditionally required expert knowledge and cumbersome manual effort such as, for example, the selection of poles from a stabilization diagram. Automated approaches which replace the user inputs with a set of rules depending on the input data set have been developed to address this shortcoming. This paper presents an alternative approach based on Bayesian optimization. This way, the possible solution space for the modal parameter estimation is kept as widely open as possible while ensuring a high accuracy of the final modal model. The proposed approach was validated on both a synthetic test data set and experimental modal analysis data of a machine tool. Furthermore, it was benchmarked against a similar tool from a well-known numerical computation software application.
Rules of Heliogeomagnetics Diversely Coordinating Biological Rhythms and Promoting Human Health
Authors: Otsuka Kuniaki , Cornelissen Germaine , Weydahl Andi , Gubin Denis , Beaty Larry A. , Murase Masatoshi
Published: January 2023

This investigation reviews how geomagnetic activity affects the circadian variation in blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) and their variabilities of clinically healthy individuals. A small study in Alta, Norway (latitude of 70.0° N), serves to illustrate the methodology used to outline rules of procedure in exploring heliogeomagnetic effects on human physiology. Volunteers in the Alta study were monitored for at least 2 days between 18 March 2002 and 9 January 2005. Estimates of the circadian characteristics of BP and HR by cosinor and the Maximum Entropy Method (MEM) indicate an increase in the circadian amplitude of systolic (S) BP on geomagnetic-disturbance days compared to quiet days (p = 0.0236). Geomagnetic stimulation was found to be circadian-phase dependent, with stimulation in the evening inducing a 49.2% increase in the circadian amplitude of SBP (p = 0.0003), not observed in relation to stimulation in the morning. In two participants monitored for 7 days, the circadian amplitude of SBP decreased by 23.4% on an extremely disturbed day but increased by 50.3% on moderately disturbed days (p = 0.0044), suggesting a biphasic (hormetic) reaction of the circadian SBP rhythm to geomagnetics. These results indicate a possible role of geomagnetic fluctuations in modulating the circadian system.
Coarse-to-Fine Structure-Aware Artistic Style Transfer
Authors: Liu Kunxiao , Yuan Guowu , Wu Hao , Qian Wenhua
Published: January 2023

Artistic style transfer aims to use a style image and a content image to synthesize a target image that retains the same artistic expression as the style image while preserving the basic content of the content image. Many recently proposed style transfer methods have a common problem; that is, they simply transfer the texture and color of the style image to the global structure of the content image. As a result, the content image has a local structure that is not similar to the local structure of the style image. In this paper, we present an effective method that can be used to transfer style patterns while fusing the local style structure to the local content structure. In our method, different levels of coarse stylized features are first reconstructed at low resolution using a coarse network, in which style color distribution is roughly transferred, and the content structure is combined with the style structure. Then, the reconstructed features and the content features are adopted to synthesize high-quality structure-aware stylized images with high resolution using a fine network with three structural selective fusion (SSF) modules. The effectiveness of our method is demonstrated through the generation of appealing high-quality stylization results and a comparison with some state-of-the-art style transfer methods.
PepLab Platform: Database and Software Tools for Analysis of Food-Derived Bioactive Peptides
Authors: Terziyski Zhelyazko , Terziyska Margarita , Deseva Ivelina , Hadzhikoleva Stanka , Krastanov Albert , Mihaylova Dasha , Hadzhikolev Emil
Published: January 2023

Research on food-derived bioactive peptides is expanding and the need for a convenient online platform that combines a foolproof and intuitive user interface with a reliable database and tools for prediction and analysis is rising. In this regard, this paper presents an open-access web-based platform PepLab (Peptides Laboratory). The database contains 2764 peptide sequence entries, grouped into sixteen classes according to their biological activity and into seven classes according to the source from which they were derived. Moreover, it includes bioinformatic tools for their processing and analysis. The DMpep tool allows extracting information about a number of physicochemical characteristics of a peptide or a set of peptides, including those that are not recorded in the database. The main advantages of PepLab are a user-friendly interface, a responsive design, and optimized search engines for better visibility on the Internet. Prediction of non-reported activity is available based on amino acid sequence analysis. In addition, users can download data and results in a convenient format (text and/or graphic) that was limited in the existing platforms. In this way, the presented PepLab platform will be helpful for researchers from various fields—bioinformatics, pharmaceuticals, food sciences, dietetics, biotechnology, analytical chemistry, etc.
Special Issue on Mapping, Monitoring and Assessing Disasters
Authors: Mavroulis Spyridon , Lekkas Efthymios
Published: January 2023

Mapping, monitoring, and assessing technologies and related studies and applications play a significant role in disaster management and disaster risk mitigation [...]
Implant–Prosthetic Rehabilitation of Maxillary Lateral Incisor Agenesis with Narrow Diameter Implants and Metal–Ceramic vs. All-Ceramic Single Crowns: A 16-Year Prospective Clinical Study
Authors: Sorrentino Roberto , Di Mauro Maria I. , Leone Renato , Ruggiero Gennaro , Annunziata Marco , Zarone Fernando
Published: January 2023

The main objectives of the present prospective clinical study were to evaluate the marginal bone resorption and the peri-implant soft tissue conditions around narrow diameter implants, as well as the clinical performances of metal–ceramic and all-ceramic single crowns in the implant–prosthetic treatment of maxillary lateral incisors agenesis. Seventy-two patients affected by monolateral or bilateral agenesis of the maxillary lateral incisors were included in the study, and a total of 105 narrow diameter implants were inserted. The final single crowns were fabricated 4 months after the surgical procedures by means of either titanium abutments with Auro-Galvan Crowns (AGC) veneered with feldspathic ceramics or zirconia abutments with all-ceramic (alumina or zirconia) crowns layered with dedicated veneering ceramics. Both marginal bone resorption and soft tissue quality were evaluated after a maximum period of 16 years. Two independent survival curves for patients wearing AGC or all-ceramic crowns were calculated by means of Kaplan–Meier analysis, and a log-rank test was performed in order to compare these curves (p < 0.05). After 16 years of clinical function, a mean marginal bone resorption of 1.2 ± 0.61 mm and good response of peri-implant soft tissues were observed. Descriptive statistics resulted in 80% and 87.1% cumulative success rates for patients provided with AGC prostheses onto titanium abutments and all-ceramic crowns on-to zirconia abutments, respectively. The cumulative survival rate calculated for AGC group was 93.3%, whereas all-ceramic group showed a cumulative survival rate of 95.7%. No statistically significant differences were found with the log-rank tests. The overall success and survival rates calculated were 85% and 95% for all the restorations, respectively. Mucositis, abutment unscrewing, loss of retention, chipping, core fracture, and esthetic failure were the major complications reported. The implant–prosthetic approach can be considered an effective and viable solution to treat cases of maxillary lateral incisor agenesis in the long term.
Special Issue on New Advances in Acoustic Emission and Microseismic Monitoring Technologies in Civil Engineering
Authors: Feng Guang-Liang , Yoshida Sanichiro , Lacidogna Giuseppe
Published: January 2023

Acoustic emission (AE) and microseismic (MS) monitoring technologies have been successfully applied to material performance analysis, material detection, building and rockmass structure stability, and for early warnings in civil engineering [...]
Experimental Investigation of the Performance of an Innovative Implantable Left Ventricular Assist Device—Proof of Concept
Authors: Tesch Krzysztof , Jasinski Ryszard , Dabrowski Leszek , Rogowski Jan
Published: January 2023

This paper presents the results of experimental performance of an innovative left ventricular assist device working on a specially designed test stand. The introduced invention is mainly applied for supporting the heart in patients with end-stage heart failure accompanied by mitral valve regurgitation and pulmonary hypertension. Moreover, the developed device has the form of a flexible balloon forming an intracardiac inert gas-filled working chamber, which is divided into two smaller balloons (valve and ventricular) inflated with gas during use. In addition to supporting the heart, replacing the work of the left ventricle in a permanent manner is also possible. Furthermore, the designed test stand makes it possible to carry out realistic experiments in an environment resembling a human heart. Exemplary pressure measurements for hypotension and hypertension conditions are presented.
PTA-Sync: Packet-Train-Aided Time Synchronization for Underwater Acoustic Applications
Authors: Cho A-Ra , Choi Youngchol
Published: January 2023

In underwater acoustic applications, time synchronization errors accumulate severely with time, owing to the unpredictable propagation delay change induced by mobility and low sound propagation speed. In previously reported schemes, error accumulation during underwater acoustic time synchronization occurred, decreasing their performance and affecting their applicability. To overcome this limitation, we propose packet-train-aided time synchronization (PTA-Sync) for underwater acoustic application. The proposed PTA-Sync adaptively tracks one-way travel time (OWTT) change using three-dimensional linear velocity vector, the transmit time difference and arrival time difference of two adjacent packets in a packet train, and the position information of a mobile reference node. Thus, this scheme enables us to reduce the synchronization error accumulation rate by estimating the propagation delay change more accurately. Simulation results show PTA-Sync achieves higher accuracy than existing OWTT-based synchronization schemes. Thus, PTA-Sync can be effectively used in underwater exploratory activities because it can successfully reduce time synchronization errors.
Determinants of Honey Consumption with Special Reference to the Influence of Nutritional Knowledge and Health Status on Consumption Habits
Authors: Kowalczuk Iwona , Stangierska Dagmara , Widera Katarzyna , Fornal-Pieniak Beata , Latocha Piotr
Published: January 2023

Due to its sensory qualities and therapeutic properties, honey is a desirable dietary ingredient. Despite the growing interest in proper nutrition in developed countries, honey consumption in developed countries is relatively low. This is also true in Poland. Hence, research was undertaken to determine Polish consumers’ behaviour with regard to honey, and its determinants, with particular emphasis on nutritional knowledge and health status. The relationships between the different aspects of consumer behaviour in the honey market and the demographic and economic characteristics of the respondents were verified using the Mann–Whitney U test for comparisons of non-dependent groups for variables on an interval scale. A multiple regression model was developed to examine the relationship between the respondents’ nutritional knowledge and their honey-related behaviour, while the relationship between the respondents’ health status and their behaviour towards honey was verified using a logistic regression model. Obtained results indicate that gender, age, education, and income differentiate consumers’ behaviour with regard to honey. The level of nutritional knowledge had a moderate effect on variations in the respondents’ behaviour. A better assessment of health status was associated with greater importance of nutritional-health motivators of honey consumption, while poorer health status determined a greater importance of such determinants as the place where honey is sold or its label attractiveness.
Effects of Rosemary Extract on C2C12 Myoblast Differentiation and 5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide Ribonucleoside (AICAR)-Induced Muscle Cell Atrophy
Authors: Lee Jun Ho , Jang Jung Yoon , Kwon Young Hoon , Lee Seung Ho , Park Cheol , Choi Yung Hyun , Kim Nam Deuk
Published: January 2023

Sarcopenia is an aging-related disease that involves the gradual loss of muscle mass and function. However, no suitable therapeutic drugs are currently available. Accordingly, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of rosemary extract (RE) in inducing myotube differentiation and inhibiting 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR)-induced muscle atrophy in mouse C2C12 cells. Morphological changes associated with the onset of RE-induced differentiation were evaluated by measuring myotube diameter, and the expression of proteins related to muscle differentiation and atrophy was measured using western blot analysis. Treatment with RE increased myotube thickness and the expression of the myogenic differentiation 1 (MyoD) and myogenin proteins. The effect of RE treatment on 5′-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), MyoD, myogenin, muscle atrophy factors forkhead box O3a (FoxO3a), MAFbx/atrogin-1, and muscle RING finger-1 (MuRF-1) protein expression in AICAR-induced muscle-atrophied C2C12 cells was evaluated using western blot analysis. Treatment with RE reduced FoxO3a, MAFbx/atrogin-1, and MuRF-1 expression and significantly increased MyoD and myogenin expression. These findings suggest that RE has the potential to be used as an active ingredient in sarcopenia treatments.
Introduction for Special Issue ‘Autotheory in Contemporary Visual Arts Practice’
Authors: Baxter Katherine , Auburn Cat
Published: January 2023

This Special Issue concerns the artistic practice of autotheory and its associated af-fordances and risks as undertaken by artists, art writers, and those interested in the stakes of the practice of autotheory [...]
A Study of the Pulse Cleaning Process for Metal Fiber Filter Bags Based on a Discrete Phase Particle Deposition Model
Authors: Liu Wenming , Xu Zhiqiang , Liu Xuedong
Published: January 2023

Emissions of airborne particulate matter are a major cause of air pollution. A numerical approach was used to establish a single-filter-bag cleaning model based on the discrete phase particle deposition distribution law to study the effect of pulse backflushing operation parameters on the cleaning performance of the specific structure of the dust collector. It was found that increasing the pulse blowing pressure (0.2 MPa to 0.6 MPa) and extending the pulse width (0.02 s to 0.1 s) resulted in an increase in the side wall pressure of the filter bag and, thus, improved its cleaning effect. The influence of the injection pressure on the side wall pressure peak of the filter bag was more obvious than that of the pulse width. However, it cannot be concluded that the greater the injection pressure and pulse width, the better the cleaning effect. Therefore, in the actual production application, the operating cost of the equipment needs to be taken into account, as well as the amount of dust on the surface of the filter bag.
Surface Selenization of NiCo-Layered Double Hydroxide Nanosheets for High-Performance Supercapacitors
Authors: Wang Mengdi , Liu Xingyu , Wu Xiang
Published: January 2023

Due to their unique spatial structures, layered double hydroxides (LDHs) have been considered as prospective electrode materials for supercapacitors. In this work, several NiCo-LDH materials are obtained via a facile selenization process. This can improve the conductivity and reduce the electrochemical impedance of the samples. The 0.4Se-NiCo-LDH materials deliver a specific capacitance of 1396 F/g at 1 A/g. The capacity retention rate can reach 91.38% after 10,000 cycles. In addition, using the prepared materials as a positive electrode, an asymmetric supercapacitor is constructed. It offers an energy density of 60 Wh/kg at a power density of 2700 W/kg, demonstrating that the synthesized samples possess promising applications in future flexible energy-storage systems.
Online Microfluidic Droplets Characterization Using Microscope Data Intelligent Analysis
Authors: Kartashov Oleg O. , Chapek Sergey V. , Polyanichenko Dmitry S. , Belyavsky Grigory I. , Alexandrov Alexander A. , Butakova Maria A. , Soldatov Alexander V.
Published: January 2023

Microfluidic devices have opened new opportunities for functional material chemical synthesis in a few applications. The screening of microfluidic synthesis processes is an urgent task of the experimental process in terms of automation and intellectualization. This study proposes a methodology and software for extracting the morphological and dynamic characteristics of generated monodisperse droplets from video data streams obtained from a digital microscope. For this purpose, the paper considers an approach to generating an extended feature space characterizing the process of droplet generation using a microfluidic device based on the creation of synthetic image datasets. YOLOv7 was used as an algorithm for detecting objects in the images. When training this algorithm, the values in the test dataset mAP@0.5 0.996 were obtained. The algorithms proposed for image processing and analysis implement the basic functionality to extract the morphological and dynamic characteristics of monodisperse droplets in the synthesis process. Laboratory validation and verification of the software demonstrated high results of the identification of key characteristics of the monodisperse droplets generated by the microfluidic device with the average deviation from the real values not exceeding 8%.
Predictive Artificial Intelligence Model for Detecting Dental Age Using Panoramic Radiograph Images
Authors: Aljameel Sumayh S. , Althumairy Lujain , Albassam Basmah , Alsheikh Ghoson , Albluwi Lama , Althukair Reem , Alhareky Muhanad , Alamri Abdulaziz , Alabdan Afnan , Shahin Suliman Y.
Published: January 2023

Predicting dental development in individuals, especially children, is important in evaluating dental maturity and determining the factors that influence the development of teeth and growth of jaws. Dental development can be accelerated in patients with an accelerated skeletal growth rate and can be related to the skeletal growth pattern as a child. The dental age (DA) of an individual is essential to the dentist for planning treatment in relation to maxillofacial growth. A deep-learning-based regression model was developed in this study using panoramic radiograph images to predict DA. The dataset included 529 samples of panoramic radiographs collected from the dental hospital at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal university in Saudi Arabia. Different deep learning methods were applied to implement the model, including Xception, VGG16, DenseNet121, and ResNet50. The results indicated that the Xception model had the best performance, with an error rate of 1.417 for the 6–11 age group. The proposed model can assist the dentist in determining the appropriate treatment for patients based on their DA rather than their chronological age.
Spatial Alignment of Organoids Tracking Subclonal Chemotherapy Resistance in Pancreatic and Ampullary Cancer
Authors: Hossan Md Shahadat , Lin Ethan Samuel , Riedl Eleanor , Stram Austin , Mehlhaff Eric , Koeppel Luke , Warner Jamie , Uko Inem , Mankowski Gettle Lori , Lubner Sam , McGregor Stephanie M. , Zhang Wei , Murphy William , Kratz Jeremy D.
Published: January 2023

Pancreatic and ampullary cancers remain highly morbid diseases for which accurate clinical predictions are needed for precise therapeutic predictions. Patient-derived cancer organoids have been widely adopted; however, prior work has focused on well-level therapeutic sensitivity. To characterize individual oligoclonal units of therapeutic response, we introduce a low-volume screening assay, including an automated alignment algorithm. The oligoclonal growth response was compared against validated markers of response, including well-level viability and markers of single-cell viability. Line-specific sensitivities were compared with clinical outcomes. Automated alignment algorithms were generated to match organoids across time using coordinates across a single projection of Z-stacked images. After screening for baseline size (50 μm) and circularity (>0.4), the match efficiency was found to be optimized by accepting the diffusion thresholded with the root mean standard deviation of 75 μm. Validated well-level viability showed a limited correlation with the mean organoid size (R = 0.408), and a normalized growth assayed by normalized changes in area (R = 0.474) and area (R = 0.486). Subclonal populations were defined by both residual growth and the failure to induce apoptosis and necrosis. For a culture with clinical resistance to gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel, while a therapeutic challenge induced a robust effect in inhibiting cell growth (GΔ = 1.53), residual oligoclonal populations were able to limit the effect on the ability to induce apoptosis (GΔ = 0.52) and cell necrosis (GΔ = 1.07). Bioengineered approaches are feasible to capture oligoclonal heterogeneity in organotypic cultures, integrating ongoing efforts for utilizing organoids across cancer types as integral biomarkers and in novel therapeutic development.
A New Model of Esophageal Cancers by Using a Detergent-Free Decellularized Matrix in a Perfusion Bioreactor
Authors: Brennan Jordan , Lu Michael L. , Kang Yunqing
Published: January 2023

The lack of physiologically relevant human esophageal cancer models has as a result that many esophageal cancer studies are encountering major bottleneck challenges in achieving breakthrough progress. To address the issue, here we engineered a 3D esophageal tumor tissue model using a biomimetic decellularized esophageal matrix in a customized bioreactor. To obtain a biomimetic esophageal matrix, we developed a detergent-free, rapid decellularization method to decellularize porcine esophagus. We characterized the decellularized esophageal matrix (DEM) and utilized the DEM for the growth of esophageal cancer cell KYSE30 in well plates and the bioreactor. We then analyzed the expression of cancer-related markers of KYSE30 cells and compared them with formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) tissue biospecimens. Our results show that the detergent-free decellularization method preserved the esophageal matrix components and effectively removed cell nucleus. KYSE30 cancer cells proliferated well on and inside the DEM. KYSE30 cells cultured on the DEM in the dynamic bioreactor show different cancer marker expressions than those in the static well plate, and also share some similarities to the FFPE-ESCC biospecimens. These findings built a foundation with potential for further study of esophageal cancer behavior in a biomimetic microenvironment using this new esophageal cancer model.