bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modeling and Characterization of Complex Dynamical Properties of Railway Ballast
Authors: Hua Xia , Zatar Wael , Cheng Xiangle , Chen Gang S. , She Yini , Xu Xiaotian , Liao Zhicheng
Published: December 2024

The nonlinear mechanical properties of ballasted tracks along railways result in complex dynamics of the vehicle–track systems. Employing localized characterization of ballast and a simplified model might underestimate the vehicle–track system’s dynamical responses and safety. This paper presents a new dynamical stiffness model of railway ballast by incorporating the ballast’s time-varying, nonlinear viscoelastic, and elastoplastic properties. The new nonlinear stiffness model is a versatile tool that comprehensively characterizes the ballast characteristics of displacement-dependent stiffness, frequency-dependent stiffness, hysteresis, and time/space-varying features. These features, widely reported in previous experimental research, can now be effectively understood. Conventionally, to characterize time/space-varying characteristics of ballast along the track, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) has been used as the most efficient approach to survey railway networks quickly and to infer track dynamical properties. Aiming to improve the present technique for characterizing time/space-varying properties of ballast stiffness by using a GPR signal, the adaptive optimal kernel time–frequency representation (AOKTFR) method is used to process a typical GPR signal from a railway ballast scanning. It is found that the results of AOKTFR exhibit a clear time-varying pattern and precise frequency modulation. In contrast, the conventional time–frequency methods failed to give a clear time-varying pattern. The results illustrate that AOKTFR is a practical approach for processing the time-varying nonlinear signal of GPR and correlating it with the time-varying nonlinear stiffness of ballast.
Experimental Study on the Strength Characteristics of Cast-In-Situ Mortar Specimens in a Slurry Environment
Authors: Yang Zhijiang , Chen Yulu , Luo Tingting , Han Tao , Jia Chuanwei , Zhang Tao , Yang Weihao
Published: December 2024

As coal resource development progresses deeper underground, the increasing depth of mine shafts poses significant challenges to the safety and stability of traditional shaft construction methods, further compounding operational difficulties. In this context, cast-in-situ concrete shaft walls in a slurry environment have emerged as an effective solution. The strength of these shaft walls is a crucial parameter for assessing their safety. To explore this, experiments were conducted on slurry preparation and mortar casting (used here as a substitute for concrete) under three different conditions: slurry environment, pure water environment, and dry environment. The cast specimens underwent compressive, tensile, shear, and microscopic observation tests to analyze the strength development patterns of the mortar specimens in these varied casting environments. The study yielded several key findings: As the casting environment becomes more complex, the strength of the mortar specimens gradually decreases. Specifically, specimens cast in a slurry environment exhibit strengths approximately 15% to 20% lower than those cast in a dry environment, although both environments show similar trends in strength development over time. Across all casting environments, the initial strength loss of the specimens is significant, while the rate of strength loss decreases in the later stages; the strength loss is minimal in specimens cast in a pure water environment and reaches its maximum in those cast in a slurry environment. Additionally, in specimens cast in a slurry environment, air void diameter tends to polarize, and the distribution of air void is denser compared to the other two environments. In conclusion, cast-in-situ mortar in a slurry environment exhibits the lowest strength and the greatest strength loss compared to specimens cast in dry and pure water environments. Nonetheless, the strength development trends over time remain similar across all conditions, providing theoretical and technical support for the construction of shaft walls in slurry environments.
Immediate Loading of Post-Extraction Implants: Success and Survival Rates: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Rojas-Rojas Pastora del Pilar , Gracia-Rojas Andrea , Traboulsi-Garet Bassel , Sánchez-Garcés Mª Ángeles , Toledano-Serrabona Jorge , Gay-Escoda Cosme
Published: December 2024

The study aimed to assess the success and survival rates of post-extraction implants with immediate loading. A systematic search was performed in the Medline (PubMed), Cochrane Library (Wiley), and Scopus (Elsevier) databases to identify randomized and non-randomized studies of intervention (NRSI) on bone loss and success and survival rates in post-extraction implants with immediate, early, and delayed loading. Articles were selected based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the risk of bias was assessed following Cochrane guidelines, and the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale was used to assess quality. A fixed-effect meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate bone loss using mean, median, and standard deviation, and to calculate odds ratios for success-survival rates. Of the 13 studies identified, three met the criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis, involving a total of 178 patients and 296 post-extraction implants. Bone loss was the lowest in the delayed loading group (0.51 mm) compared to immediate (0.55 mm) and early loading (0.54 mm). Implant failures were similar in the immediate and early groups (one case each), while two failures were reported in the delayed group. Delayed loading reduced peri-implant bone loss, but immediate loading showed a slightly higher success-survival rate. Further high-quality studies are needed to strengthen the evidence on the long-term effects of the different implant loading protocols.
Airfoil Design and Flow Analysis of a Multi-Blade Centrifugal Fan: An Experimental and Simulation Study
Authors: Yin Haonan , Zhao Hanqing , Li Yiping , Zhao Jie , Zhang Kai
Published: December 2024

To overcome the technical challenges of the multi-blade centrifugal fan, such as low efficiency and insufficient total pressure, the blades of the fan were optimally designed in this study. The flow field of the multi-blade centrifugal fan with a single-arc blade and an airfoil blade was simulated and compared using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFDs). Under steady-state conditions, the total pressure, velocity field distribution, and aerodynamic performance of a multi-blade centrifugal fan were analyzed. The numerical results showed that there were vortices, secondary flows, and boundary layer separation phenomena in the flow passage of the single-arc multi-blade centrifugal fan. Based on the lift-to-drag ratio theory of airfoil in aerodynamics, four different airfoil blades were designed for the multi-blade centrifugal fan. The study found that the lift-to-drag ratio of the airfoil blades was positively correlated with the fan efficiency; among them, the A-type airfoil exhibited the highest lift-to-drag ratio within the 0–10 degree angle of attack range. The three-dimensional simulation results indicated that, except for the initial operating point B, the A-type airfoil showed higher fan efficiency under other operating conditions, and its total pressure curve was the most stable. In addition, the use of airfoil blades effectively suppressed the aforementioned adverse flow phenomena and improved the flow within the blade passage. Experimental verification further confirmed the effect of airfoil blades on improving fan performance: compared to single-arc blades, the efficiency of the multi-blade centrifugal fan increased by 3–7% after using airfoil blades, and the upper limit of high-efficiency flow increased from 450 m3/h to 650 m3/h. Meanwhile, the total pressure and power of the airfoil fan were also significantly improved. The results of this work are significant for guiding the optimal design of the fan.
A Social-Network-Based Crowd Selection Approach for Crowdsourcing Mobile Apps Requirements Engineering Tasks
Authors: Alamer Ghadah , Alyahya Sultan , Al-Dossari Hmood
Published: December 2024

Mobile apps have revolutionized almost every aspect of our daily lives, shaping the way we shop, learn and work. The transformative and unprecedented impact they have made on our lifestyle and the convenience they have offered have increased their adoption in diverse domains. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to hear from the interested audience about their desires and requirements in mobile apps. This has stressed the need to employ crowdsourcing in requirements engineering (RE) activities to harness the scattered talent in the crowd. RE tasks require certain software domain knowledge, hence, selecting a suitable subset of the crowd is crucial to obtain high-quality contributions. For that, we propose a crowd selection approach for crowdsourcing mobile app requirements engineering tasks which leverages the untapped crowd available on the social network Twitter (recently changed to X). This article is an extension of our previous work, where we present the proposed social-network-based crowd selection approach design, continue to work on the remaining component of the approach and evaluate the approach through a controlled experiment. For evaluation, the approach was utilized to select a real crowd that were invited to contribute to crowdsourcing requirements elicitation tasks for a fitness mobile app. The quality of the crowdsourced requirements was assessed by experts and the results have provided encouraging and compelling insights about the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The obtained assessment scores for the five quality factors clarity, creativity, relatedness, feasibility and diversity were respectively 4.36, 4.01, 4.29, 4.45 and 4.43 out of 5. Overall, we believe that the proposed social-network-based crowd selection approach could help in eliciting mobile app requirements and features that could cater to the needs of a large audience.
Non-Cooperative Target Ranging Based on High-Orbit Single-Star Temporal–Spatial Characteristics
Authors: Zhang Derui , Wang Hao , Zhao Qing
Published: December 2024

A visible light camera payload with star-sensitive functionality was installed to measure the distance between a non-cooperative target satellite and a high-orbit satellite. The rotation matrix was used to calculate the pointing vector from the center of the satellite’s star-sensitive camera axis to the target satellite. Multiple position imaging was achieved, and the moving window approach was used to establish two sets of equations relating the pointing vectors to the positions of binary satellites. To simplify the calculations, the target satellite’s eccentricity was assumed to be small (0 to 0.001), allowing elliptical orbits to be approximated as circular. Additionally, short-interval (1-min) imaging measurements were taken, assuming a small inclination of the target satellite (0.0° to 0.4°). This resulted in the construction of a ranging model with high accuracy, producing a ranging error of less than 5% of the actual distance.
PortraitEmotion3D: A Novel Dataset and 3D Emotion Estimation Method for Artistic Portraiture Analysis
Authors: Liu Shao , Agaian Sos , Grigoryan Artyom
Published: December 2024

Facial Expression Recognition (FER) has been widely explored in realistic settings; however, its application to artistic portraiture presents unique challenges due to the stylistic interpretations of artists and the complex interplay of emotions conveyed by both the artist and the subject. This study addresses these challenges through three key contributions. First, we introduce the PortraitEmotion3D (PE3D) dataset, designed explicitly for FER tasks in artistic portraits. This dataset provides a robust foundation for advancing emotion recognition in visual art. Second, we propose an innovative 3D emotion estimation method that leverages three-dimensional labeling to capture the nuanced emotional spectrum depicted in artistic works. This approach surpasses traditional two-dimensional methods by enabling a more comprehensive understanding of the subtle and layered emotions often in artistic representations. Third, we enhance the feature learning phase by integrating a self-attention module, significantly improving facial feature representation and emotion recognition accuracy in artistic portraits. This advancement addresses this domain’s stylistic variations and complexity, setting a new benchmark for FER in artistic works. Evaluation of the PE3D dataset demonstrates our method’s high accuracy and robustness compared to existing state-of-the-art FER techniques. The integration of our module yields an average accuracy improvement of over 1% in recent FER systems. Additionally, combining our method with ESR-9 achieves a comparable accuracy of 88.3% on the FER+ dataset, demonstrating its generalizability to other FER benchmarks. This research deepens our understanding of emotional expression in art and facilitates potential applications in diverse fields, including human–computer interaction, security, healthcare diagnostics, and the entertainment industry.
Model-Free Adaptive Control of an Active Half-Vehicle-Seat System Coupled with a Nonlinear Energy Sink Inerter (NESI)
Authors: Zhang Yuanyuan , Ren Chunling , Meng Haodong , Wang Yong
Published: December 2024

In order to reduce vehicle vibration and improve vehicle ride comfort and handling stability, a nonlinear energy sink inerter (NESI) is designed by combing an inerter and nonlinear energy sink (NES) for use in the seat suspension and vehicle suspension for the half-vehicle-seat (HVS) system; furthermore, a model-free adaptive control (MFAC) method based on the genetic algorithm is proposed to enhance the dynamic performance of the passive HVS system. The dynamic model of the active HVS system coupled with NESI using the MFAC method is established; its dynamic responses under pavement random and shock excitations are acquired using the numerical method and the dynamic performance is evaluated by seven evaluation indicators. The efficacy of the MFAC method is demonstrated through comparative analysis with the original passive HVS system, the HVS system coupled with NESI, and the active HVS system coupled with NESI using the proportional integral derivative (PID) control method. In addition, the influence of the installed position of MFAC on the dynamic performance of the active HVS system coupled with NESI is examined. The results show that for the active HVS system coupled with NESI using the MFAC method, compared with the other three HVS systems, the root mean square (RMS) values of the vehicle body vertical acceleration, vehicle body pitch acceleration, seat vertical acceleration, and front and rear suspension dynamic travel under pavement random excitation are smaller, the corresponding peak amplitudes under pavement shock excitation reduce, and the vibration attenuation time shortens; the RMS values of the front and rear dynamic tire loading under pavement random excitation are slightly smaller, the corresponding peak amplitudes under pavement shock excitation increase, and the vibration attenuation time decreases, which reflects the best dynamic performance among the four HVS systems and shows the effectiveness of the MFAC method. Furthermore, the control effect of the MFAC method is the best when it acts both on the seat and vehicle suspensions.
Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Spray Scrubber Dust Collection Efficiency
Authors: Tomaszewski Adam , Przybyliński Tomasz , Lackowski Marcin
Published: December 2024

Spray scrubbers are widely used in gas purification applications and allow fulfillment of the demands of air quality norms introduced all over the world. They effectively remove harmful gases like sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter from industrial emissions, reducing their impact on air quality. Moreover, by capturing greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) in certain applications, spray scrubbers contribute to efforts to reduce climate change. Optimization of scrubber internal elements leads to reduced energy usage and lowered water mass flow while maintaining high pollutant removal efficiency. This makes them cost-effective in the long term. The demister is an additional device which is often used in scrubbing systems, and its main task is to prevent the water droplets from escaping through the upper part of the scrubbing chamber. In this article, the pollution (MgO particles) is introduced to the system upstream the scrubber inlet, the working fluid is air under atmospheric pressure, and water droplets are generated by a single nozzle placed inside the scrubber. Before the experimental part, a preliminary numerical analysis of gas velocity inside scrubber is performed and expectations of particle behavior are indicated. Then, the authors present the spray scrubber laboratory stand designed by them and carry out experimental research on it. Each element of the test stand is described in the article including the self-designed fluidizer, which effectively mixes MgO powder with air. The authors investigate the effect of their innovative construction of demister on separation efficiency and compare the results to the case without demister. The impact of water mass flow rate generated by the nozzle and gas inlet velocity on separation efficiency is presented for several investigated cases. The results show that demisters significantly improve the separation efficiency at lower water mass flow rates and successfully prevent water droplets from reaching the scrubber outlet. The measured separation efficiency was in the range of 80% for lower water mass flow rates up to 97% for the highest water flows.
Complex Periodic Motions and Bifurcations of a Forced Duffing Oscillator with Its Field-Programmable Gate Arrays Implementation
Authors: Liu Yan , Yang Zehua , Mao Taokai , Li Wencheng
Published: December 2024

The dynamical behavior of a Duffing oscillator under periodic excitation is investigated using semi-analytical methods. Bifurcation trees with varying periodic excitation are constructed. The stability, saddle-node bifurcation and period-doubling bifurcation are revealed by assessing the eigenvalue of the model. From the bifurcation trees, we observed that saddle-node and period-doubling bifurcations occur when the excitation frequency and excitation amplitude vary to an appropriate value. The generation of periodic-doubling bifurcation leads to a change in the periodicity of periodic motion. The relationships among periodic-m motions are interconnected yet independent of each other. To satisfy the need of parameter selection for FPGA circuits, a dual-parameter map is calculated to study the periodic characteristics. Then, an FPGA circuit model is designed and implemented. The results show that the phase trajectory and waveform of the FPGA hardware circuit match the numerical model.
A Study on a Geohash Cell-Based Spatial Analysis Using Individual Vehicle Data for Linear Information
Authors: Chong Kyu Soo
Published: December 2024

Linear spatial data are primarily used in Geographic Information Systems (GISs) to represent spatial data in the form of roads, rivers, railways, and utility lines. Linear spatial data are mostly composed of one-dimensional linear elements, incorporating geometric attributes such as location, direction, and length, as well as the interconnections of these elements. In the case of roads, this information is used to map and analyze traffic data, such as vehicle movements, on the road network. This study aims to propose an area-based spatial analysis method that allows for the flexible application of analysis scales using individual vehicle data, as opposed to node and link generation for linear road networks. The analysis focused on nine expressways, conducting a microscopic analysis of speed-homogeneous sections. The final analysis showed that out of 375 cells, 91 cells in the final 12 division cells did not meet the homogeneity criteria. This discrepancy was ascertained to be due to vehicles decelerating or accelerating when entering or exiting highways at ramps or interchanges, not due to directional speed differences but lane-specific speed variations. The final cells with large speed deviations were found to be influenced by connections to highway on-ramps or off-ramps. In contrast, sections with small speed variations within a cell were influenced by traffic factors such as connection points and traffic volume, which hindered normal driving. As a result, this study validated that traffic information from highways, typically provided as linear data, could be divided into cells based on real-time GPS speed data and presented on an area-based scale. While dividing regions based on fixed intervals does not pinpoint exact speed change points, this study found that reasonable segmentation is possible based on spatial size and speed-homogeneous sections.
Efficiency of Dimensional Analysis in Predicting Compression Load–Settlement Relationship of Soft Clay Under a Rigid Foundation
Authors: Tolun Mustafa
Published: December 2024

Dimensional analysis is an effective tool for designing laboratory tests, and it is also a successful method to reasonably predict the results of large-scale or field tests, which are difficult and costly to perform, by considering the outcomes obtained from small-scale tests. This paper therefore focuses on predicting the compression load–settlement relationship of soft clay soil under a rigid foundation by dimensional analysis. For that purpose, a series of dimensionless pi (π) terms were first produced for the relevant problem by employing Buckingham’s pi (π) theorem via the MATLAB program. Secondly, the results of a small-scale physical test reported in the literature that investigated the load–settlement relationship of soft clay soil under a rigid foundation subjected to compression load were verified with the finite element method. Thereafter, the small-scale problem was scaled up several times using dimensionless terms, and the compression load–settlement relationship for the large-scale cases was investigated with both dimensional analysis and the validated finite element method. The findings indicate that dimensional analysis produces reasonably successful outcomes considering the computational ease. In addition, the MATLAB program presented in this paper is quite useful for those desiring to determine the dimensionless terms belonging to any sort of problem.
Improving Solar Radiation Prediction in China: A Stacking Model Approach with Categorical Boosting Feature Selection
Authors: Ding Yuehua , Wang Yuhang , Li Zhe , Zhao Long , Shi Yi , Xing Xuguang , Chen Shuangchen
Published: December 2024

Solar radiation is an important energy source, and accurately predicting it [daily global and diffuse solar radiation (Rs and Rd)] is essential for research on surface energy exchange, hydrologic systems, and agricultural production. However, Rs and Rd estimation relies on meteorological data and related model parameters, which leads to inaccuracy in some regions. To improve the estimation accuracy and generalization ability of the Rs and Rd models, 17 representative radiation stations in China were selected. The categorical boosting (CatBoost) feature selection algorithm was utilized to construct a novel stacking model from sample and parameter diversity perspectives. The results revealed that the characteristics related to sunshine duration (n) and ozone (O3) significantly affect solar radiation prediction. The proposed new ensemble model framework had better accuracy than base models in root mean square error (RMSE), coefficient of determination (R2), mean absolute error (MAE), and global performance index (GPI). The solar radiation prediction model is more applicable to coastal areas, such as Shanghai and Guangzhou, than to inland regions of China. The range and mean of RMSE, MAE, and R2 for Rs prediction are 1.5737–3.7482 (1.9318), 1.1773–2.6814 (1.4336), and 0.7597–0.9655 (0.9226), respectively; for Rd prediction, they are 1.2589–2.9038 (1.8201), 0.9811–2.1024 (1.3493), and 0.5153–0.9217 (0.7248), respectively. The results of this study can provide a reference for Rs and Rd estimation and related applications in China.
A Study of the Relationship Among Radon, Thoron and Radioactive Aerosol Particle Distribution in PM2.5 Risk Areas in Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand
Authors: Kranrod Chutima , Rattanapongs Chanis , Sola Phachirarat , Manowan Arisa , Onjan Ancharee , Aramrun Kitkawin , Tokonami Shinji
Published: December 2024

Tha Maka is the district with the highest incidence of cancer patients in Kanchanaburi province and is classified as a high-risk area for PM2.5 exposure due to the presence of many sugar factories. Most of the population is in agricultural occupation, leading to the annual burning of sugarcane and rice stubble to start new plantings, which is another cause of air pollution. This study aimed to investigate the correlation among radon, thoron, and airborne particles potentially implicated in lung cancer etiology, which focused on monitoring the concentrations of radon, thoron, and their progeny, as well as analyzing the distribution of particle sizes categorized into 10, 2.5, 1, 0.5, and less than 0.5 μm to assess possible health impacts or lung cancer risk factors. The findings indicated that indoor radon concentrations ranged from 13 to 81 Bq m−3, with a mean of 26.1 ± 11.9 Bq m−3, while indoor thoron concentrations varied from 2 to 52 Bq m−3, averaging 15.7 ± 10.8 Bq m−3. These levels are below the radiation dose limit recommended by the World Health Organization and the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). The total annual inhalation dose ranged from 0.44 to 2.02 mSv y−1, which is within the usual limits. The average annual effective doses from attached progeny were 0.83 mSv y−1 for radon and 0.57 mSv y−1 for thoron, both of which are regarded to be low. Consequently, based on all the findings, it may be assumed that radon, thoron, and their progeny may not be the primary contributors to lung cancer in the region. Nonetheless, while the mean value falls below the recommended thresholds established by the ICRP or WHO, it is indisputable that in certain regions, representing roughly 6.6% of the total area, the value surpasses the global average documented by the UNSCEAR. Furthermore, the aerosol particle size predominantly observed was less than 1 μm for radon and 0.5 μm for thoron, which is a significant factor that may influence the incidence of respiratory disorders. Nevertheless, as this study was conducted during the non-burning period, future research must be conducted during the burning season, using supplementary factors to acquire more thorough data.
Research on the Characteristics of Agricultural Drought Disaster in China Based on Three-Dimensional Copula Function
Authors: Zuo Dongdong , Cheng Jianbo , Wu Hao , Hou Wei
Published: December 2024

Estimating the probability and consequences of drought disasters is an important task in drought risk assessment, which contributes to the development of mitigation strategies. Based on rainfall data from 2481 stations and the drought-affected arable land of each province from 1961 to 2021, a probabilistic analysis model of drought duration, drought severity and the proportion of affected farmland area (PAFA) was constructed by a three-dimensional copula function. The results show that the distribution functions of drought duration, drought severity and the PAFA are well given based on the principle of maximum entropy and can pass the Kolmogorov–Smirnov (K-S) distribution test with a significance level of 0.05. Among the three Archimedean copulas, Frank’s method has a relatively better accuracy, suggesting that it captures the dependencies between drought characteristics better and is more suitable for constructing joint distribution functions. The value of PAFA in Gansu, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi and Liaoning is about 0.3, which is higher than other provinces. Drought duration and drought severity levels of 3 to 4 are the main causes of a PAFA greater than 0.3, which can be used as an early warning line for drought risk. At the same level of PAFA, the drought in the southern region lasted longer and was more intense.
A Study on the Development of Destruction or Removal Efficiency (DRE) Considering the Characteristics of Greenhouse Gas Abatement Technology Used in the Semiconductor and Display Industries in South Korea
Authors: Woo Jiyun , Min Dae Kee , Kang Seongmin , Lee Joohee , Lee Bong-Jae , Jeon Eui-chan
Published: December 2024

In this study, the Destruction or Removal Efficiency (DRE) of 10 types of F-gases used in the semiconductor and display industries in South Korea was measured. These industries use a large volume of F-gases with high Global Warming Potential (GWP), significantly contributing to national greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, accurately calculating the greenhouse gas emissions from these industries and establishing appropriate mitigation plans is crucial. The current IPCC guidelines provide parameters for estimating greenhouse gas emissions for each gas, including DRE values. However, they present only a single coefficient for each gas, without considering the diverse abatement technologies that are commercially applied in practice. As a result, there is a potential for overestimating South Korea’s national greenhouse gas emissions, as these guidelines do not reflect the advanced abatement technologies used in each country’s semiconductor and display industries. To address this, the DREs of Combustion-type and Plasma-type abatement technologies, which are widely used in South Korea, were measured based on the Korean KS guidelines, developed from the U.S. EPA’s reduction efficiency measurement guidelines. The results showed that Plasma-type technologies, which are generally known to have better reduction efficiency, achieved higher DRE values compared with Combustion-type technologies. Furthermore, statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 26 to assess whether it is significant to develop separate DRE values for different technologies. The analysis confirmed that developing distinct DREs for each technology is statistically significant. The findings of this study provide practical guidance for selecting optimal abatement technologies in South Korea’s semiconductor and display industries and serve as fundamental data for contributing to the achievement of sustainable carbon neutrality goals through more accurate greenhouse gas inventories in countries involved in semiconductor and display production.
Long-Term Effect of Air Pollution on COPD Exacerbations: AIREPOC Cohort in Bogotá, Colombia
Authors: Herrera López Astrid Berena , Rojas Néstor Y. , Riojas-Rodríguez Horacio , Texcalac-Sangrador José Luis , Torres-Duque Carlos A. , Herrera Alejandro Casas , Arbeláez María Patricia , Herrera Víctor , Rodríguez-Villamizar Laura Andrea
Published: December 2024

(1) Background: Evidence on the association between air pollution and the risk of exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is scarce and inconsistent. We aimed to analyze the association between long-term exposure to particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and exacerbation of COPD (COPD-E) in Bogotá, Colombia. (2) Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 722 COPD patients in the AIREPOC program of the Fundación Neumológica Colombiana between 2018 and 2021. Exposure to PM2.5 and NO2 was estimated for residential locations using the inverse squared-distance weighted regression (IDWR) method. Hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated for the first COPD-E during follow-up using Cox models, adjusted for meteorological, demographic, and clinical variables. (3) Results: COPD-E was associated with long-term exposure to PM2.5 (HR: 1.03, 95%CI: 1.02–1.05) and NO2 (HR: 1.05, 95%CI: 1.03–1.07), controlling for the effect of quality of life, history of COPD-E, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) pre-bronchodilator, and exposure to solar radiation. An association was found between COPD-E and concentrations ≥ 25 µg/m3 of NO2 (HR: 1.49, 95%CI: 1.12–1.98) but not with concentrations ≥ 15 µg/m3 of PM2.5. (4) Conclusions: This study suggests that people with COPD exposed to higher concentrations of PM2.5 and NO2 had an increased risk of COPD-E. Solar radiation was also associated with an increased risk of COPD-E. The results highlight the importance of continuing efforts to reduce air pollution. COPD patients should be aware of air quality indices and follow the recommendations, as well as participate in air governance spaces.
Safety Evaluation for Acute and Chronic Oral Toxicity of Maha Pigut Triphala Contains Three Medicinal Fruits in Sprague-Dawley Rats
Authors: Intatham Supaporn , Taychaworaditsakul Weerakit , Khonsung Parirat , Chansakaow Sunee , Jaijoy Kanjana , Lertprasertsuke Nirush , Soonthornchareonnon Noppamas , Sireeratawong Seewaboon
Published: December 2024

Maha Pigut Triphala is the herbal mixture of three fruits consisting of T. bellirica, T. chebula, and E. officinalis also known as P. emblica. Humans regularly eat the fresh fruits of these plants on a daily basis. Maha Pigut Triphala is one of the widely known herbal medicinal formulas used in traditional Thai medicine. Besides studying pharmacological properties, attention should also be paid to the safety and toxicity studies of herbal medicines. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the acute and chronic oral toxicity of Maha Pigut Triphala (2:1:3) in Sprague-Dawley rats. A single dose of Maha Pigut Triphala at a concentration of 5000 mg/kg body weight was administered orally to female rats in the acute oral toxicity study. In the chronic oral toxicity study, male and female rats were treated with various concentrations of Maha Pigut Triphala (600, 1200, and 2400 mg/kg body weight) once daily for 270 consecutive days. The presence of abnormalities in the symptoms and behavior of the rats were observed and recorded throughout the experiment. Additionally, body weight, organ weight, and mortality were recorded. At the end of the study, blood samples were collected for hematological and blood chemistry analysis, while the internal organs were evaluated for gross pathological and histopathological changes. The acute oral toxicity study revealed no mortality and abnormal symptoms or behavior in Maha Pigut Triphala-treated rats. Moreover, gross pathological and histopathological findings did not reveal any abnormalities in the internal organs. In the chronic oral toxicity evaluation, although there were negligible changes in body weight, organ weight, and hematological and blood chemistry parameters in rats treated with Maha Pigut Triphala for 270 days, no behavioral or gross pathological and histopathological abnormalities were observed. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate that Maha Pigut Triphala (2:1:3) neither causes acute nor chronic oral toxicity in rats, proposing the safety of this herbal formula in animals prior to human trials and use.
Characterization of Major Cell-Wall-Degrading Enzymes Secreted by Diaporthe spp. Isolate Z1-1N Causing Postharvest Fruit Rot in Kiwifruit in China
Authors: Ling Li-Zhen , Chen Ling-Ling , Ma Jia-Yu , Li Chao-Yue , Zhang Dong-Ru , Hu Xiao-Di , Zhang Shu-Dong
Published: December 2024

Pathogen-induced fruit decay is a significant threat to the kiwifruit industry, leading to considerable economic losses annually. The cell-wall-degrading enzymes (CWDEs) secreted by these pathogens are crucial for penetrating the cell wall and accessing nutrients. Among them, Diaporthe species are recognized as major causal agents of soft rot in kiwifruit, yet their pathogenic mechanisms are not well understood. In this study, we explored the production of various CWDEs secreted by Diaporthe Z1-1N, including polygalacturonase (PG), polymethylgalacturonase (PMG), polygalacturonic acid transeliminase (PGTE), pectin methyltranseliminase (PMTE), endoglucanase (Cx), and β-glucosidase (β-glu), both in liquid cultures and within infected kiwifruit tissues. Our findings revealed significant activities of two pectinases (PG and PMG) and cellulases (Cx and β-glu) in the infected tissues. In contrast, very low levels of PMTE and PGTE activities were observed under the same conditions. When orange pectin served as the carbon source, PG and PMG showed notable activities, while PMTE and PGTE remained inactive. Moreover, the activities of Cx and β-glu significantly decreased by more than 63 times in the liquid medium with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as the carbon source compared to their levels in infected kiwifruit. A further analysis indicated that the necrotic lesions produced by pectinase extracts were larger than those produced by cellulase extracts. Notably, four enzymes—PG, PMG, Cx, and β-glu—exhibited high activities on the third or fourth day post-infection with Diaporthe Z1-1N. These results suggest that Diaporthe Z1-1N secretes a range of CWDEs that contribute to kiwifruit decay by enhancing the activities of PG, PMG, Cx, and β-glu. This study sheds light on the pathogenicity of Diaporthe in kiwifruit and highlights the importance of these enzymes in the decay process.
Higher-Order DNA Secondary Structures and Their Transformations: The Hidden Complexities of Tetrad and Quadruplex DNA Structures, Complexes, and Modulatory Interactions Induced by Strand Invasion Events
Authors: Völker Jens , Gindikin Vera , Breslauer Kenneth J.
Published: December 2024

We demonstrate that a short oligonucleotide complementary to a G-quadruplex domain can invade this iconic, noncanonical DNA secondary structure in ways that profoundly influence the properties and differential occupancies of the resulting DNA polymorphic products. Our spectroscopic mapping of the conformational space of the associated reactants and products, both before and after strand invasion, yield unanticipated outcomes which reveal several overarching features. First, strand invasion induces the disruption of DNA secondary structural elements in both the invading strand (which can assume an iDNA tetrad structure) and the invaded species (a G-quadruplex). The resultant cascade of coupled alterations represents a potential pathway for the controlled unfolding of kinetically trapped DNA states, a feature that may be characteristic of biological regulatory mechanisms. Furthermore, the addition of selectively designed, exogenous invading oligonucleotides can enable the manipulation of noncanonical DNA conformations for biomedical applications. Secondly, our results highlight the importance of metastability, including the interplay between slower and faster kinetic processes in determining preferentially populated DNA states. Collectively, our data reveal the importance of sample history in defining state populations, which, in turn, determine preferred pathways for further folding steps, irrespective of the position of the thermodynamic equilibrium. Finally, our spectroscopic data reveal the impact of topological constraints on the differential stabilities of base-paired domains. We discuss how our collective observations yield insights into the coupled and uncoupled cascade of strand-invasion-induced transformations between noncanonical DNA forms, potentially as components of molecular wiring diagrams that regulate biological processes.
Late-Life Alcohol Exposure Does Not Exacerbate Age-Dependent Reductions in Mouse Spatial Memory and Brain TFEB Activity
Authors: Chen Hao , Hinz Kaitlyn , Zhang Chen , Rodriguez Yssa , Williams Sha Neisha , Niu Mengwei , Ma Xiaowen , Chao Xiaojuan , Frazier Alexandria L. , McCarson Kenneth E. , Wang Xiaowan , Peng Zheyun , Liu Wanqing , Ni Hong-Min , Zhang Jianhua , Swerdlow Russell H. , Ding Wen-Xing
Published: December 2024

Alcohol consumption is believed to affect Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk, but the contributing mechanisms are not well understood. A potential mediator of the proposed alcohol-AD connection is autophagy, a degradation pathway that maintains organelle and protein homeostasis. Autophagy is regulated through the activity of Transcription factor EB (TFEB), which promotes lysosome and autophagy-related gene expression. The purpose of this study is to explore whether chronic alcohol consumption worsens the age-related decline in TFEB-mediated lysosomal biogenesis in the brain and exacerbates cognitive decline associated with aging. To explore the effect of alcohol on brain TFEB and autophagy, we exposed young (3-month-old) and aged (23-month-old) mice to two alcohol-feeding paradigms and assessed biochemical, transcriptome, histology, and behavioral endpoints. In young mice, alcohol decreased hippocampal nuclear TFEB staining but increased SQSTM1/p62, LC3-II, ubiquitinated proteins, and phosphorylated Tau. Hippocampal TFEB activity was lower in aged mice than it was in young mice, and Gao-binge alcohol feeding did not worsen the age-related reduction in TFEB activity. Morris Water and Barnes Maze spatial memory tasks were used to characterize the effects of aging and chronic alcohol exposure (mice fed alcohol for 4 weeks). The aged mice showed worse spatial memory acquisition in both tests. Alcohol feeding slightly impaired spatial memory in the young mice, but had little effect or even slightly improved spatial memory acquisition in the aged mice. In conclusion, aging produces greater reductions in brain autophagy flux and impairment of spatial memory than alcohol consumption.
Urinary Tract Infections Detection with Molecular Biomarkers
Authors: Sun Jiayi , Cheng Kai , Xie Yanyun
Published: December 2024

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most prevalent kind of pathogenic bacteria infection, and the midstream urine culture is regarded as the gold standard in UTI diagnosis. Recently, even with modern media and techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), urinary cultures still create a considerable workload for hospital laboratories. Other UTI-detecting methods, such as flow cytometry and lateral flow immunoassay, suffer from various drawbacks like long time consumption and low sensitivity. Therefore, looking for reliable biomarkers in UTI is urgently needed. In this review, the current definitions of UTI can be basically divided into two main categories: uncomplicated UTI and complicated UTI. In light of anatomical sites, it can be classified as either lower UTI or upper UTI. We take the classification of UTI as a clue and review the reported extensive literature to classify the existing studied markers into the following three categories: Biomarkers used clinically; Promising biomarkers; and Controversial biomarkers. Particularly, the nucleic acid-associated, metabolomic, and lipidomic biomarkers are highlighted. At the end, we discuss the challenges and prospects of biomarkers in UTI, hoping to further inspire the diagnosis of UTI.
CXCL13 as a Biomarker: Background and Utility in Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Pachner Andrew R. , Pike Steven , Smith Andrew D. , Gilli Francesca
Published: December 2024

CXCL13 is a chemokine which is upregulated within the CNS in multiple sclerosis, Lyme neuroborreliosis, and other inflammatory diseases and is increasingly clinically useful as a biomarker. This review provides background for understanding its function in the immune system and its relationship to ectopic lymphoid follicles. Also reviewed are its utility in multiple sclerosis and Lyme neuroborreliosis and potential problems in its measurement. CXCL13 has the potential to be an exceptionally useful biomarker in a range of inflammatory diseases.
Macrophages in Calcific Aortic Valve Disease: Paracrine and Juxtacrine Disease Drivers
Authors: Klauzen Polina , Basovich Liubov , Shishkova Daria , Markova Victoria , Malashicheva Anna
Published: December 2024

A significant role in the pathogenesis of CAVD is played by innate immunity cells, such as macrophages. In stenotic valves, macrophages have enhanced inflammatory activity, and the population’s balance is shifted toward pro-inflammatory ones. Pro-inflammatory macrophages release cytokines, chemokines, and microRNA, which can directly affect the resident valvular cells and cause valve calcification. In CAVD patients, macrophages may have more pronounced pro-inflammatory properties, enhanced not only by paracrine signals but also by juxtacrine Notch signaling and epigenetic factors, which influence the maturation of macrophages’ progenitors. In this review, we observe the accumulated data on the involvement of macrophages in CAVD development via paracrine and juxtacrine interactions.
Astrocytes and Tinnitus
Authors: Perin Paola , Pizzala Roberto
Published: December 2024

Tinnitus is correlated with anomalies of neural plasticity and has been found to be affected by inflammatory status. The current theories on tinnitus, although still somewhat incomplete, are based on maladaptive plasticity mechanisms. Astrocytes play a major role in both neural responses to inflammation and plasticity regulation; moreover, they have recently been discovered to encode “context” for neuronal circuits, which is similar to the “expectation” of Bayesian brain models. Therefore, this narrative review explores the possible and likely roles of astrocytes in the neural mechanisms leading to acute and chronic tinnitus.
CAR-T Cells for the Treatment of Central Nervous System Tumours: Known and Emerging Neurotoxicities
Authors: Palazzo Leonardo , Pieri Valentina , Berzero Giulia , Filippi Massimo
Published: December 2024

The advent of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells has recently changed the prognosis of relapsing/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, showing response rates as high as 60 to 80%. Common toxicities reported in the pivotal clinical trials include the cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and the Immune effector Cell-Associated Neurotoxicity Syndrome (ICANS), a stereotyped encephalopathy related to myeloid cell activation and blood–brain barrier dysfunction, presenting with a distinctive cascade of dysgraphia, aphasia, disorientation, attention deficits, vigilance impairment, motor symptoms, seizures, and diffuse brain oedema. The tremendous oncological efficacy of CAR-T cells observed in systemic B-cell malignancies is leading to their growing use in patients with primary or secondary central nervous system (CNS) lymphomas and in patients with solid tumours, including several CNS cancers. Early studies conducted in adult and paediatric patients with solid CNS tumours reported a distinct profile of neurotoxicity referred to as Tumour inflammation-associated neurotoxicity (TIAN), corresponding to local inflammation at the tumour site manifesting with focal neurological deficits or mechanical complications (e.g., obstructive hydrocephalus). The present review summarises available data on the efficacy and safety of CAR-T cells for solid and haematological CNS malignancies, emphasising known and emerging phenotypes, ongoing challenges, and future perspectives.