bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Existence of a Neutral-Impact Maxillo-Mandibular Displacement on Upper Airways Morphology
Authors: Badiali Giovanni , Lunari Ottavia , Bevini Mirko , Bortolani Barbara , Cercenelli Laura , Lorenzetti Manuela , Marcelli Emanuela , Bianchi Alberto , Marchetti Claudio
Published: March 2021

Current scientific evidence on how orthognathic surgery affects the airways morphology remains contradictory. The aim of this study is to investigate the existence and extension of a neutral-impact interval of bony segments displacement on the upper airways morphology. Its upper boundary would behave as a skeletal displacement threshold differentiating minor and major jaw repositioning, with impact on the planning of the individual case. Pre- and post-operative cone beam computed tomographies (CBCTs) of 45 patients who underwent maxillo-mandibular advancement or maxillary advancement/mandibular setback were analysed by means of a semi-automated three-dimensional (3D) method; 3D models of skull and airways were produced, the latter divided into the three pharyngeal subregions. The correlation between skeletal displacement, stacked surface area and volume was investigated. The displacement threshold was identified by setting three ∆Area percentage variations. No significant difference in area and volume emerged from the comparison of the two surgical procedures with bone repositioning below the threshold (approximated to +5 mm). A threshold ranging from +4.8 to +7 mm was identified, varying in relation to the three ∆Area percentages considered. The ∆Area increased linearly above the threshold, while showing no consistency in the interval ranging from −5 mm to +5 mm.
Exploring the Potential of 3D Printing Technology in Landscape Design Process
Authors: Kim Suyeon , Shin Yeeun , Park Jinsil , Lee Sang-Woo , An Kyungjin
Published: March 2021

Advances in 3D printing technology are giving rise to attempts to utilize the technology in various fields, including landscape design. However, exploring the potential of 3D printing technology has been largely neglected in the context of landscape design and education. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the implication of 3D printing technology for both education and practice in landscape design. We analyzed the literature and examined the current state of 3D printing technology. We also conducted case studies with secondary school students and landscape practitioners to assess the implementation of the technology. Secondary school students demonstrated positive responses, such as increased interest and participation and improvement of understanding, through workshops using 3D-printed models. The semi-structured interviews with landscape practitioners on the implication of the technology confirmed the limitations of 3D printing in terms of cost, delivery time, scale, and level of detail.
Fully Portraying Patch Area Scaling with Resolution: An Analytics and Descriptive Statistics-Combined Approach
Authors: Zhang Qianning , Xu Zhu
Published: March 2021

Scale effects are inherent in spatial analysis. Quantitative knowledge about them is necessary for properly interpreting and scaling analysis results. The objective of this study was to systematically model patch area scaling and the associated uncertainty. A hybrid approach was taken to tackle the difficulty involved. Recognizing that patch’s size and shape play the key role in shaping its scaling behavior, a function model of patch area scaling based on patch morphology was first conceptually formulated. It was then substantiated by sampling and interpolating in the scale-integrated domain of patch morphology, which is characterized by a one-dimensional size index, namely the relative support range (RSR), and a compactness index, namely filling. The area scaling model obtained unveils a simple consistent scaling pattern of all patches and an overall fading range between 0.12 and 3.16 in terms of RSR. The uncertainty model built exhibits a filling-dependent pattern of the variance of patch area, which can be as large as 0.67 (i.e., 67%) in terms of standard deviation. The models were validated by using them to predict patch and class area scaling of the test patches and landscapes. This study demonstrated the basic feasibility of analytically modeling scaling behavior. It also revealed the uncertainty of scale effects is very significant due to the inevitable randomness in rasterization.
Changes in Soil Features and Phytomass during Vegetation Succession in Sandy Areas
Authors: Rahmonov Oimahmad , Skreczko Sylwia , Rahmonov Małgorzata
Published: March 2021

This research was conducted on an area of inland sands characterised by various degrees of overgrowth by vegetation and soil stabilisation. This landscape’s origin is not natural but is connected to human industrial activities dating from early medieval times, which created a powerful centre for mining and metallurgy. This study aims to identify the changes in the above- and belowground phytomass in the initial stages of succession and their influence on the chemical properties and morphology of the soil. It was found that Salix arenaria dominated in primary phytomass production in all plots tested. The amounts of this species found in each community were as follows: 8.55 kg/400 m2 (algae–mosses), 188.97 kg/400 m2 (sand grassland–willow), 123.44 kg/400 m2 (pine–willow–mosses), 14.63 kg/400 m2 (sand grassland–mosses–willow), and 196.55 kg/400 m2 (willow–pine–sand grassland). A notable share of Koeleria glauca was found in the phytomass production of Plots IV (45.73 kg) and V (86.16 kg). Basic soil properties (pH, Corg, Nt), available plant elements (P), and plant nutrients (Ca, Mg, K, P, Fe) beneath the dominant plant species were examined. Soil acidity (pH) varied greatly, ranging from acidic (pH = 3.2) to weakly acidic (pH = 6.3). The content of organic carbon (Corg) in individual plots beneath the dominant species in the humus horizon ranged from 0.28% to 1.42%. The maximum contents of organic carbon and total nitrogen were found in organic (O) and organic-humus (OA) horizons. The highest Pavail content was found in organic and organic-humus horizons, ranging from 10.41 to 65.23 mg/kg, and in mineral horizons under K. glauca (24.10 mg/kg) and Salix acutifola (25.11 mg/kg). The soil features and phytomass were varied differently across individual sites, representing different stages of succession.
Reinforcement of Grammatical Structures through Explicit Instruction in Palenquero Creole: A Pilot Study
Authors: Cassiani Obeso Estilita María
Published: March 2021

The Afro-Hispanic creole, Palenquero, has been spoken (together with Spanish) in the village of San Basilio de Palenque, Colombia, for centuries. Until recently, Palenquero was endangered due to prejudice, but language revitalization efforts are underway, and younger speakers are learning Palenquero, but with little reinforcement out of school. The school instruction involves no grammatical explanations, almost no student production, or critical feedback. Adult speakers usually do not address younger speakers in Palenquero, thus leaving school-acquired forms suspended without reinforcement. This represents a unique scenario of heritage acquisition of a language with no bidirectional communication between younger and adult speakers. The present study focuses on the use of preverbal particles and prenominal plural marker by heritage speakers of Palenquero before and after explicit instruction. Communication activities explicitly presented the prenominal plural ma and preverbal particles, such as zero morpheme (simple present), asé (habitual), ta (progressive), a (perfective/simple past) and tan (future). Participants performed better at the post-test and results suggest that explicit explanation of grammatical rules, practice, repetition, and corrective feedback improved the usage of ma and tan. This result lines up with previous studies that posit the amount of time and exposure that learners need in order to acquire complex morphology.
An Insight into the Anxiolytic and Antidepressant-Like Proprieties of Carum carvi L. and Their Association with Its Antioxidant Activity
Authors: Es-safi Imane , Mechchate Hamza , Amaghnouje Amal , Jawhari Fatima Zahra , Al Kamaly Omkulthom Mohamed , Imtara Hamada , Grafov Andriy , Bari Amina , Bousta Dalila
Published: March 2021

Depression and anxiety are widespread illnesses whose consequences on patients’ social and professional lives are becoming ever more dangerous and severe. The study’s objective is to explore the antidepressant-like and anxiolytic activity of the polyphenolic extract of Carum carvi L. as well as its antioxidant power as they were recently associated. The predictive antidepressant activity was evaluated using the forced swimming and tail suspension test in mice, a preclinical behavioral model widely used to determine the efficacy of antidepressant drugs. As for anxiolytic-like activity, two models were used, namely the light/dark chamber test to measure the animal’s degree of anxiety and the open field test to evaluate both anxiolytic and locomotor activity. The tests results indicate a remarkable antidepressant and anxiolytic-like effect after oral administration of the polyphenolic fraction of C. carvi and interesting antioxidant property. In the extract it has been confirmed the presence of 6 molecules belonging to polyphenols, identified with HPLC analysis. This study confirms and encourages the traditional use of the extract and appeals to further studies to understand its action mechanism.
Exploring Structural Evolution of Portland Cement Blended with Supplementary Cementitious Materials in Seawater
Authors: Park Solmoi , Park Jun Kil , Lee Namkon , Kim Min Ook
Published: March 2021

The present study investigated the structural evolution of Portland cement (PC) incorporating supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) exposed to seawater. The samples were made with replacing Portland cement with 10 mass-% silica fume, metakaolin or glass powder. The reaction degree of SCMs estimated by the portlandite consumption shows that metakaolin has the highest reaction degree, thus metakaolin-blended PC exhibits the highest strength. The control exposed to seawater exhibited 14.82% and 12.14% higher compressive strengths compared to those cured in tap water at 7 and 28 days. The samples incorporating metakaolin showed the highest compressive strength of 76.60 MPa at 90 days tap water curing and this was 17% higher than that of the control. Exposure to seawater is found to retard the rate of hydration in all SCM-incorporating systems, while the strength development of the neat PC system is enhanced. The main reaction product that forms during exposure to seawater is Cl-AFm and brucite, while it is predicted by the thermodynamic modelling that a significant amount of M-S-H, calcite and hydrotalcite is to form at an extended period of exposure time.
On the Use of EBSD and Microhardness to Study the Microstructure Properties of Tungsten Samples Prepared by Selective Laser Melting
Authors: Abbas Mirza Atif , Anru Yan , Wang Zhi Yong
Published: March 2021

Additively manufactured tungsten and its alloys have been widely used for plasma facing components (PFCs) in future nuclear fusion reactors. Under the fusion process, PFCs experience a high-temperature exposure, which will ultimately affect the microstructural features, keeping in mind the importance of microstructures. In this study, microhardness and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) techniques were used to study the specimens. Vickers hardness method was used to study tungsten under different parameters. EBSD technique was used to study the microstructure and Kikuchi pattern of samples under different orientations. We mainly focused on selective laser melting (SLM) parameters and the effects of these parameters on the results of different techniques used to study the behavior of samples.
Incorporation of Obstacle Hardening into Local Approach to Cleavage Fracture to Predict Temperature Effects in the Ductile to Brittle Transition Regime
Authors: Yankova Maria S. , Jivkov Andrey P. , Patel Rajesh
Published: March 2021

Ductile-to-brittle-transition refers to observable change in fracture mode with decreasing temperature—from slow ductile crack growth to rapid cleavage. It is exhibited by body-centred cubic metals and presents a challenge for integrity assessment of structural components made of such metals. Local approaches to cleavage fracture, based on Weibull stress as a cleavage crack-driving force, have been shown to predict fracture toughness at very low temperatures. However, they are ineffective in the transition regime without the recalibration of Weibull stress parameters, which requires further testing and thus diminishes their predictive capability. We propose new Weibull stress formulation with thinning function based on obstacle hardening model, which modifies the number of cleavage-initiating features with temperature. Our model is implemented as a post-processor of finite element analysis results. It is applied to analyses of standard compact tension specimens of typical reactor pressure vessel steel, for which deformation and fracture toughness properties in the transition regime are available. It is shown that the new Weibull stress is independent of temperature, and of Weibull shape parameter, within the experimental error. It accurately predicts the fracture toughness at any temperature in the transition regime without relying upon empirical fits for the first time.
Self-Sensing Well Cement
Authors: Gawel Kamila , Szewczyk Dawid , Cerasi Pierre Rolf
Published: March 2021

Chemical reactions with reservoir fluids and geology related in-situ stress changes may cause damages to cement sealing material in plugged and abandoned oil, gas and CO2 wells. To avoid leakages, a legitimate monitoring technique is needed that could allow for early warning in case such damages occur. In this paper, we test the utility of oil and gas well cement with a conductive filler in sensing stress changes. To this end, we have measured the resistance response of Portland G—oil and gas well cement with carbon nanofibers (CNF) to axial load during uniaxial compressive strength test. Simultaneously, the microseismicity data were collected. The resistance of the nanocomposite was measured using two-point method in the direction of loading. The resistance changes were correlated with acoustic emission events. A total of four different material response regions were distinguished and the resistivity and acoustic emission changes in these regions were described. Our results suggest that the two complementary methods, i.e., acoustic emission and resistance measurements, can be used for sensing stress state in materials including well cement/CNF composites. The results suggest that the well cement/CNF composites can be a good candidate material to be used as a transducer sensing changes in stress state in, e.g., well plugs up to material failure.
An Improved Procedure for the Quality Control of Sintered Carbide Tips for Mining Applications, Based on Quantitative Image Analysis of the Microstructure
Authors: Mucha Kamil , Augustyn-Nadzieja Joanna , Szczotok Agnieszka , Krauze Krzysztof
Published: March 2021

Conical picks are tools that treat surfaces used in mining. Due to a wide variety of such tools, they need to characterise in diversified geometrical and material parameters, as well as durability. For the mining sector, evaluation of the conical picks is performed in order to verify their agreement with the manufacturer’s declaration, as well as with the requirements of the user. One of the whole research procedure elements is a qualitative and quantitative analysis of a pick tip made of sintered carbide (tungsten carbide–cobalt; WC-Co). It is currently carried out when the recipient is accepting such picks or when a complaint is made. In this case, it is important to propose such a research and control procedure that will make it possible to determine the quality of the applied material for pick tips in a straightforward, repeatable, and objective way. This article presents the results of investigations made on tips coming from four different types of conical picks. The tips’ hardness and density were measured, as well as WC grains which were characterised using two kinds of measurements (automated linear-intercept method and semi-automated planimetric methods). The measurements of the WC grains were conducted on microstructure images recorded using a light microscope. The performed investigations made it possible to compare tips and refer the results to those of other scientists’ studies. The final effect is a proposal of a specialised procedure examining picks, especially their tips, made of sintered carbides. This is important for the evaluation of the tips’ quality in light of the requirements of the relevant norms and the needs of the users from the mining and extractive sectors.
Strong Interfacial Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy in Exchange-Biased NiO/Co/Au and NiO/Co/NiO Layered Systems
Authors: Kowacz Mateusz , Anastaziak Błażej , Schmidt Marek , Stobiecki Feliks , Kuświk Piotr
Published: March 2021

The ability to induce and control the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) of ferromagnetic layers has been widely investigated, especially those that offer additional functionalities (e.g., skyrmion stabilization, voltage-based magnetization switching, rapid propagation of domain walls). Out-of-plane magnetized ferromagnetic layers in direct contact with an oxide belong to this class. Nowadays, investigation of this type of system includes antiferromagnetic oxides (AFOs) because of their potential for new approaches to applied spintronics that exploit the exchange bias (EB) coupling between the ferromagnetic and the AFO layer. Here, we investigate PMA and EB effect in NiO/Co/Au and NiO/Co/NiO layered systems. We show that the coercive and EB fields increase significantly when the Co layer is coupled with two NiO layers, instead of one. Surrounding the Co layer only with NiO layers induces a strong PMA resulting in an out-of-plane magnetized system can be obtained without a heavy metal/ferromagnetic interface. The PMA arises from a significant surface contribution (0.74 mJ/m2) that can be enhanced up to 0.99 mJ/m2 by annealing at moderate temperatures (~450 K). Using field cooling processes for both systems, we demonstrate a wide-ranging control of the exchange bias field without perturbing other magnetic properties of importance.
Liquid-Phase Deposition Synthesis of ZIF-67-Derived Synthesis of Co3O4@TiO2 Composite for Efficient Electrochemical Water Splitting
Authors: Shaikh Zaffar Ahmed , Laghari Asif Ali , Litvishko Oleg , Litvishko Valery , Kalmykova Tatyana , Meynkhard Artur
Published: March 2021

In this article, a novel Co3O4@TiO2 composite is synthesized by applying two-step methods. ZIF-67 is synthesized and used as a template for the synthesis of the composite. The composite is designed by using the effective photocatalytic properties of Co3O4 and TiO2. The resulting synthesized composite is supposed to offer superior properties compared to their counterparts. The synthesized Co3O4@TiO2 composite is characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Brunauer–Emmet–Teller (BET), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Electrochemical water splitting, including hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) studies on the Co3O4@TiO2 composite, is evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) analysis in a 2M aqueous KOH electrolyte. The current generation stability of these samples is deliberated by chronoamperometric measurements. It is observed, from LSV results at a 1 mV/s scan rate, that metal oxides incorporated on other metal oxides have a higher current density and lower onset potential as compared to pure metal oxides. From the obtained results, it has become evident that synthesized studies on the Co3O4@TiO2 composite possess significant potential for electrochemical water splitting with the lowest onset potential, highest current density, better OER, and HER activity.
Mechanical Analysis and Experimental Studies of the Transverse Strain in Wrinkled Metallic Thin Films
Authors: Nie Tongxin , Wang Baomin , Liu Bo , Xie Yali , Yang Huali , Zhu Mingyuan , Li Run-Wei
Published: March 2021

The wrinkling structures, which can greatly improve the stretchability of the metallic thin films, have been widely used in the preparation of stretchable devices. However, the artificial wrinkling structures are often accompanied by the generation of microcracks, which seriously affect the performance of the devices. In this work, by establishing the corresponding model, the transverse strain of the longitudinally prestrained continuous film and the strip film is mechanically analyzed, which is verified by experimental results; for the strain of blank substrate, the error of the model was about 3.7%. It is difficult to avoid the generation of microcracks with continuous films, but strip films can avoid the generation of microcracks to a certain extent. The experimental results illustrate the various factors affecting the generation of microcracks. The transverse strain of the film is proportional to the substrate’s Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, thickness, and prestrain and is basically inversely proportional to the strip film’s Young’s modulus, thickness, and strip interval. Our results provide deeper knowledge for choosing proper metallic materials to fabricate stretchable wrinkled devices.
Efficiency of Magnetostatic Protection Using Nanostructured Permalloy Shielding Coatings Depending on Their Microstructure
Authors: Zubar Tatiana , Grabchikov Sergey , Kotelnikova Anna , Kaniukov Egor , Kutuzau Maksim , Leistner Karin , Nielsch Kornelius , Vershinina Tatiana , Tishkevich Daria , Kanafyev Oleg , Kozlovskiy Artem , Zdorovets Maxim , Fedosyuk Valery , Trukhanov Alex
Published: March 2021

The effect of microstructure on the efficiency of shielding or shunting of the magnetic flux by permalloy shields was investigated in the present work. For this purpose, the FeNi shielding coatings with different grain structures were obtained using stationary and pulsed electrodeposition. The coatings’ composition, crystal structure, surface microstructure, magnetic domain structure, and shielding efficiency were studied. It has been shown that coatings with 0.2–0.6 µm grains have a disordered domain structure. Consequently, a higher value of the shielding efficiency was achieved, but the working range was too limited. The reason for this is probably the hindered movement of the domain boundaries. Samples with nanosized grains have an ordered two-domain magnetic structure with a permissible partial transition to a superparamagnetic state in regions with a grain size of less than 100 nm. The ordered magnetic structure, the small size of the domain, and the coexistence of ferromagnetic and superparamagnetic regions, although they reduce the maximum value of the shielding efficiency, significantly expand the working range in the nanostructured permalloy shielding coatings. As a result, a dependence between the grain and domain structure and the efficiency of magnetostatic shielding was found.
Capturing the Unsaid: Nurses’ Experiences of Identifying Mental Ill-Health in Older Men in Primary Care—A Qualitative Study of Narratives
Authors: Karlsson Jenny , Hammar Lena Marmstål , Kerstis Birgitta
Published: March 2021

This study describes nurses’ experiences in identifying mental ill-health in older men in primary care. The aging population is growing in Sweden and life expectancy is increasing. Age is a risk factor for mental ill-health. Older men are over-represented in deaths from suicide. When older men seek primary care, it is often because of somatic symptoms and rarely for mental health issues. A questionnaire with five open questions was answered by 39 nurses from 10 primary care centres and subjected to inductive qualitative content analysis. The results revealed a main theme—capturing the unsaid—and two categories: (1) feeling secure in the role, with three subcategories (building trust, daring to ask and interpreting signs); and (2) the need for resources, with two subcategories (time and continuity, and finding support in collaboration). The results confirm that nurses in primary care play a key role in identifying mental ill-health in older men. There is a need for resources in the form of time, competence and collaboration with other professionals and patients’ relatives. This strategy will establish best practice and provide evidence-based care to facilitate improvements in older men’s mental health and prevent suicide.
Adventitious Root Formation in Tree Species
Authors: Díaz-Sala Carmen
Published: March 2021

Adventitious root formation is a postembryonic organogenesis process induced by differentiated cells other than those specified to develop roots [...]
Antimicrobial Activities of Sesquiterpene-Rich Essential Oils of Two Medicinal Plants, Lannea egregia and Emilia sonchifolia, from Nigeria
Authors: Ogundajo Akintayo L. , Ewekeye Tolulope , Sharaibi Olubunmi J. , Owolabi Moses S. , Dosoky Noura S. , Setzer William N.
Published: March 2021

Lannea egregia (Anacardiaceae) and Emilia sonchifolia (Asteraceae) are plants used in traditional medicine in southwestern Nigeria. The essential oils from the leaves of L. egregia and E. sonchifolia were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Both essential oils were dominated by sesquiterpenoids. The major components in L. egregia leaf essential oil were α-panasinsen (34.90%), (E)-caryophyllene (12.25%), α-copaene (11.39%), and selina-4,11-diene (9.29%), while E. sonchifolia essential oil was rich in γ-himachalene (25.16%), (E)-caryophyllene (15.72%), and γ-gurjunene (8.58%). The essential oils were screened for antimicrobial activity against a panel of bacteria and fungi and displayed minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging from 156 μg/mL to 625 μg/mL. Based on these results, either L. egregia or E. sonchifolia essential oil may be recommended for exploration as complementary antibacterial or antifungal agents.
Understanding the Ethnobotany, Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Distribution of Genus Hydnora (Aristolochiaceae)
Authors: Mkala Elijah Mbandi , Mutungi Moses Mutuse , Mutinda Elizabeth Syowai , Oulo Millicent Akinyi , Wanga Vincent Okelo , Mwachala Geoffrey , Hu Guang-Wan
Published: March 2021

The genus Hydnora (Hydnoraceae) is one of the basal angiosperms in the order Piperales, found in the semi-arid regions of Africa, and the Southern Arabian Peninsula. Plants in this genus play essential roles in communities around the world as revealed by various studies. Currently, there are eight species of the genus Hydnora; seven in Africa and one in the Arabian Peninsula. Notably, Hydnora abyssinica A.Br. and Hydnora africana Thunb. are widely distributed compared to other species. They are widely used for their medicinal and nutritional values. The information on ethnobotany, chemistry, pharmacology, and distribution of genus Hydnora was gathered using phytochemical and ethnobotanical books, electronic sources, and published articles. Preliminary phytochemical screening shows that flavonoids, phenolics, proanthocyanidins, and tannins are the main compounds in H. abyssinica and H. africana. Furthermore, 11 compounds have been isolated from H. abyssinica. The biological activities of H. abyssinica and H. africana have been reported. They include antibacterial, antiproliferative, antioxidant, antidiarrhea, and antifungal potentials. Despite the Hydnora species being practiced in ancient folkloric medicine, their traditional uses and pharmacological value are poorly documented. Based on the available information on ethnobotany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and distribution, we aim to provide research gaps and challenges for a better understanding of this genus. This may be resourceful in the development of effective phytomedicines, and aid in conservation. The available studies on this genus on some aspects such as phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, and distribution are under-reported hence the need for further research.
Biological Response of Lallemantia iberica to Brassinolide Treatment under Different Watering Conditions
Authors: Naservafaei Saeid , Sohrabi Yousef , Moradi Parviz , Mac Sweeney Eileen , Mastinu Andrea
Published: March 2021

Lallemantia iberica (L. iberica) is an important dry season medicinal plant. Drought, an important abiotic stress, adversely affects the plant’s metabolism, which can be alleviated by plant growth regulators like brassinolides. A two-year field experiment was conducted in 2017–2018 to determine the effects of three different irrigation regimes and four brassinolide concentrations on the L. iberica biochemical properties. A split-plot based on a completely randomized block design in three replicates was used as an experimental design with the following irrigation regimes: full watering, watering until flowering and watering until branching. These were the main plots, and 0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 μM brassinolide concentrations were applied as the subplots. The results showed that many antioxidant enzymes and some biochemical parameters were affected by brassinolide treatment. Furthermore, the highest membrane stability and grain yield were produced in full watering treatment in the second year, and these treatments were not affected by brassinolide application. Several concentrations of brassinolide differently affected the studied treatments, and our study suggests that the amelioration of the effects of the drought stress on L. iberica could possibly be achieved through brassinolide-induced elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging defense systems. There is a need for complementary research to prove the effectiveness of foliar application of this growth regulator to improve the growth and yield of L. iberica under water shortage conditions.
Hydrogeochemical Characterization as a Tool to Recognize “Masked Geothermal Waters” in Bahía Concepción, Mexico
Authors: Hernández-Morales Pablo , Wurl Jobst , Green-Ruiz Carlos , Morata Diego
Published: March 2021

Geo-thermalism has been widely recognized on the Baja California Peninsula, especially during the last decade. The current research, carried out on Bahia Concepcion, evidences the existence of geothermal springs, which get recharged mainly by groundwater and seawater. The groundwater can be characterized as Na+-Cl− and Na+-HCO3− type, with a pH value close to neutrality. The slightly more acidic thermal sites presented temperatures between 32 °C and 59 °C at the surface. Based on the relationships of the Cl− and Br−, as well as the B/Cl−, and Br−/Cl− ratios, seawater was recognized as the main source of salinity. The spatial distribution is explained directly through marine intrusion, or via sprays and aerosols within the rainwater. Seawater ratios in thermal springs varied from 62% to 83%, corresponding mainly to shallow inflow, but seawater inputs into the deep thermal reservoir were also recognized. Temperatures in the geothermal deep reservoir were inferred from 114 to 209 °C, calculated through the SiO2 and Na+-K+ geothermometers. In addition to previously reported thermal sites at Bahía Concepción, and based on their elevated temperatures, two new sites were identified. Another five springs do not fulfill the commonly used definition, based on differential temperature, but show the typical hydrogeochemical signature of thermal water. A new approach to identify this low-temperature geothermal-influenced spring water by its hydrogeochemical composition is presented, for which the term “Masked Geothermal Waters” (MGW) is introduced. Our findings increase the area of the geothermal anomaly and, therefore, the potential of geothermal resources. The approach proposed in this research will also be useful to identify more MGW in other coastal areas.
Determining Robotic Assistance for Inclusive Workplaces for People with Disabilities
Authors: Hüsing Elodie , Weidemann Carlo , Lorenz Michael , Corves Burkhard , Hüsing Mathias
Published: March 2021

Human–robot collaboration (HRC) provides the opportunity to enhance the physical abilities of severely and multiply disabled people thus allowing them to work in industrial workplaces on the primary labour market. In order to assist this target group optimally, the collaborative robot has to support them based on their individual capabilities. Therefore, the knowledge about the amount of required assistance is a central aspect for the design and programming of HRC workplaces. The paper introduces a new method that bases the task allocation on the individual capabilities of a person. The method obtains human capabilities on the one hand and the process requirements on the other. In the following step, these two profiles are compared and the workload of the human is acquired. This determines the amount of support or assistance, which should be provided by a robot capable of HRC. In the end, the profile comparison of an anonymized participant and the concept of the human–robot workplace is presented.
An Evaluation of Executive Control Function and Its Relationship with Driving Performance
Authors: Yan Lirong , Wen Tiantian , Zhang Jiawen , Chang Le , Wang Yi , Liu Mutian , Ding Changhao , Yan Fuwu
Published: March 2021

The driver’s attentional state is a significant human factor in traffic safety. The executive control process is a crucial sub-function of attention. To explore the relationship between the driver’s driving performance and executive control function, a total of 35 healthy subjects were invited to take part in a simulated driving experiment and a task-cuing experiment. The subjects were divided into three groups according to their driving performance (aberrant driving behaviors, including lapses and errors) by the clustering method. Then the performance efficiency and electroencephalogram (EEG) data acquired in the task-cuing experiment were compared among the three groups. The effect of group, task transition types and cue-stimulus intervals (CSIs) were statistically analyzed by using the repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the post hoc simple effect analysis. The subjects with lower driving error rates had better executive control efficiency as indicated by the reaction time (RT) and error rate in the task-cuing experiment, which was related with their better capability to allocate the available attentional resources, to express the external stimuli and to process the information in the nervous system, especially the fronto-parietal network. The activation degree of the frontal area fluctuated, and of the parietal area gradually increased along with the increase of CSI, which implied the role of the frontal area in task setting reconstruction and working memory maintaining, and of the parietal area in stimulus–Response (S–R) mapping expression. This research presented evidence of the close relationship between executive control functions and driving performance.
Multi-Layer and Conformally Integrated Structurally Embedded Vascular Antenna (SEVA) Arrays
Authors: Bal Amrita , Baur Jeffery W. , Hartl Darren J. , Frank Geoffrey J. , Gibson Thao , Pan Hong , Huff Gregory H.
Published: March 2021

This work presents the design and fabrication of two multi-element structurally embedded vascular antennas (SEVAs). These are achieved through advances in additively manufactured sacrificial materials and demonstrate the ability to embed vascular microchannels in both planar and complex-curved epoxy-filled quartz fiber structural composite panels. Frequency-reconfigurable antennas are formed by these structures through the pressure-driven transport of liquid metal through the embedded microchannels. The planar multi-layer topology examines the ability to fabricate two co-located radiating structures separated by a single ply of quartz fabric within the composite layup. The multi-element linear array topology composed of microchannels embedded on to a single-layer are used to demonstrate the ability to conformally-integrate these channels into a complex curved surface that mimics an array of antennas on the leading edge of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). A parallel-strip antipodal dipole feed structure provides excitation and serves as the interface for fluid displacement within the microchannels to facilitate reconfiguration. The nominal design of the SEVAs achieve over a decade of frequency reconfiguration with respect to the fundamental dipole mode of the antenna. Experimental and predicted results demonstrate the operation for canonical states of the antennas. Additional results for the array topology demonstrate beam steering and contiguous operation of interconnected elements in the multi-element structure.
Enhancing Solid State LiDAR Mapping with a 2D Spinning LiDAR in Urban Scenario SLAM on Ground Vehicles
Authors: Wei Weichen , Shirinzadeh Bijan , Nowell Rohan , Ghafarian Mohammadali , Ammar Mohamed M. A. , Shen Tianyao
Published: March 2021

Solid-State LiDAR (SSL) takes an increasing share of the LiDAR market. Compared with traditional spinning LiDAR, SSLs are more compact, energy-efficient and cost-effective. Generally, the current study of SSL mapping is limited to adapting existing SLAM algorithms to an SSL sensor. However, compared with spinning LiDARs, SSLs are different in terms of their irregular scan patterns and limited FOV. Directly applying existing SLAM approaches on them often increase the instability of a mapping process. This study proposes a systematic design, which consists of a dual-LiDAR mapping system and a three DOF interpolated six DOF odometry. For dual-LiDAR mapping, this work uses a 2D LiDAR to enhance a 3D SSL performance on a ground vehicle platform. The proposed system takes a 2D LiDAR to preprocess the scanning field into a number of feature sections according to the curvatures on the 2D fraction. Subsequently, this section information is passed to 3D SSL for direction feature selection. Additionally, this work proposes an odometry interpolation method which uses both LiDARs to generate two separated odometries. The proposed odometry interpolation method selectively determines the appropriate odometry information to update the system state under challenging conditions. Experiments are conducted in different scenarios. The results proves that the proposed approach is able to utilise 12 times more corner features from the environment than the comparied method, thus results in a demonstrable improvement in its absolute position error.
In Vivo Quantitative Vasculature Segmentation and Assessment for Photodynamic Therapy Process Monitoring Using Photoacoustic Microscopy
Authors: Mai Thi Thao , Yoo Su Woong , Park Suhyun , Kim Jin Young , Choi Kang-Ho , Kim Chulhong , Kwon Seong Young , Min Jung-Joon , Lee Changho
Published: March 2021

Vascular damage is one of the therapeutic mechanisms of photodynamic therapy (PDT). In particular, short-term PDT treatments can effectively destroy malignant lesions while minimizing damage to nonmalignant tissue. In this study, we investigate the feasibility of label-free quantitative photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) for monitoring the vasculature changes under the effect of PDT in mouse ear melanoma tumors. In particular, quantitative vasculature evaluation was conducted based on Hessian filter segmentation. Three-dimensional morphological PAM and depth-resolved images before and after PDT treatment were acquired. In addition, five quantitative vasculature parameters, including the PA signal, vessel diameter, vessel density, perfused vessel density, and vessel complexity, were analyzed to evaluate the influence of PDT on four different areas: Two melanoma tumors, and control and normal vessel areas. The quantitative and qualitative results successfully demonstrated the potential of the proposed PAM-based quantitative approach to evaluate the effectiveness of the PDT method.
Sensitivity, Noise and Resolution in a BEOL-Modified Foundry-Made ISFET with Miniaturized Reference Electrode for Wearable Point-of-Care Applications
Authors: Bellando Francesco , Mele Leandro Julian , Palestri Pierpaolo , Zhang Junrui , Ionescu Adrian Mihai , Selmi Luca
Published: March 2021

Ion-sensitive field-effect transistors (ISFETs) form a high sensitivity and scalable class of sensors, compatible with advanced complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) processes. Despite many previous demonstrations about their merits as low-power integrated sensors, very little is known about their noise characterization when being operated in a liquid gate configuration. The noise characteristics in various regimes of their operation are important to select the most suitable conditions for signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and power consumption. This work reports systematic DC, transient, and noise characterizations and models of a back-end of line (BEOL)-modified foundry-made ISFET used as pH sensor. The aim is to determine the sensor sensitivity and resolution to pH changes and to calibrate numerical and lumped element models, capable of supporting the interpretation of the experimental findings. The experimental sensitivity is approximately 40 mV/pH with a normalized resolution of 5 mpH per µm2, in agreement with the literature state of the art. Differences in the drain current noise spectra between the ISFET and MOSFET configurations of the same device at low currents (weak inversion) suggest that the chemical noise produced by the random binding/unbinding of the H+ ions on the sensor surface is likely the dominant noise contribution in this regime. In contrast, at high currents (strong inversion), the two configurations provide similar drain noise levels suggesting that the noise originates in the underlying FET rather than in the sensing region.
Development and Modification of Pre-miRNAs with a FRET Dye Pair for the Intracellular Visualization of Processing Intermediates That Are Generated in Cells
Authors: Kamiya Yukiko , Kamimoto Hiroshi , Zhu Hongyu , Asanuma Hiroyuki
Published: March 2021

microRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding ribonucleic acids (RNAs), which regulate gene expression via the RNA interference (RNAi) system. miRNAs have attracted enormous interest because of their biological significance and disease relationship. In cell systems, the generation of miRNA is regulated by multiple steps: the transfer of primary miRNA from the nucleus to the cytosol, the generation of the precursor-miRNA (pre-miRNA), the production of double-stranded RNA from pre-miRNA by the Dicer, the interaction with protein argonaute-2 (AGO2), and the subsequent release of one strand to form miRISC with AGO2. In this study, we attempt to visualize the intermediates that were generated in the miRNA-maturation step in the cells to acquire a detailed understanding of the maturation process of miRNA. To achieve this, we developed pre-miRNAs labeling with a Dicer- or AGO2-responsible fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) dye pair. We observed that modifications with the dye at suitable positions did not interfere with the biological activities of pre-miRNAs. Further, imaging analyses employing these pre-miRNAs demonstrated that the processing of pre-miRNA promoted the accumulation of miRNA at the specific foci in the cytosol. The FRET-labeled pre-miRNA would further elucidate the mechanisms of the RNAi process and provide the basis for development of nucleic acid drugs working in the RNAi system.
Influence of Wearing Ballistic Vests on Physical Performance of Danish Police Officers: A Cross-Over Study
Authors: Koblauch Henrik , Zebis Mette K. , Jacobsen Mikkel H. , Haraldsson Bjarki T. , Klinge Klaus P. , Alkjær Tine , Bencke Jesper , Andersen Lars L.
Published: March 2021

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the influence of wearing a ballistic vest on physical performance in police officers. Methods: We performed a cross-over study to investigate the influence of wearing a ballistic vest on reaction and response time, lumbar muscle endurance and police vehicle entry and exit times. Reaction and response time was based on a perturbation setup where the officers’ pelvises were fixed and EMG of lumbar and abdominal muscles was recorded. We used a modified Biering–Sørensen test to assess the lumbar muscle endurance and measured duration of entry and exit maneuvers in a variety of standard-issue police cars. Results: There was a significant difference of 24% in the lumbar muscle endurance test (no vest: 151 s vs. vest: 117 s), and the police officers experienced higher physical fatigue after the test when wearing a vest. Furthermore, officers took longer to both enter and exit police cars when wearing a vest (range: 0.24–0.56 s) depending on the model of the vehicle. There were no significant differences in reaction and response times between the test conditions (with/without vest). Discussion and Conclusion: Wearing of a ballistic vest significantly influenced the speed of movement in entry and exit of police cars and lumbar muscle endurance, although it does not seem to affect reaction or response times. The ballistic vest seems to impair performance of tasks that require maximal effort, which calls for better designs of such vests.
Intelligent Dynamic Identification Technique of Industrial Products in a Robotic Workplace
Authors: Vachálek Ján , Šišmišová Dana , Vašek Pavol , Rybář Jan , Slovák Juraj , Šimovec Matej
Published: March 2021

The article deals with aspects of identifying industrial products in motion based on their color. An automated robotic workplace with a conveyor belt, robot and an industrial color sensor is created for this purpose. Measured data are processed in a database and then statistically evaluated in form of type A standard uncertainty and type B standard uncertainty, in order to obtain combined standard uncertainties results. Based on the acquired data, control charts of RGB color components for identified products are created. Influence of product speed on the measuring process identification and process stability is monitored. In case of identification uncertainty i.e., measured values are outside the limits of control charts, the K-nearest neighbor machine learning algorithm is used. This algorithm, based on the Euclidean distances to the classified value, estimates its most accurate iteration. This results into the comprehensive system for identification of product moving on conveyor belt, where based on the data collection and statistical analysis using machine learning, industry usage reliability is demonstrated.
Practical Model for Energy Consumption Analysis of Omnidirectional Mobile Robot
Authors: Hou Linfei , Zhou Fengyu , Kim Kiwan , Zhang Liang
Published: March 2021

The four-wheeled Mecanum robot is widely used in various industries due to its maneuverability and strong load capacity, which is suitable for performing precise transportation tasks in a narrow environment. While the Mecanum wheel robot has mobility, it also consumes more energy than ordinary robots. The power consumed by the Mecanum wheel mobile robot varies enormously depending on their operating regimes and environments. Therefore, only knowing the working environment of the robot and the accurate power consumption model can we accurately predict the power consumption of the robot. In order to increase the applicable scenarios of energy consumption modeling for Mecanum wheel robots and improve the accuracy of energy consumption modeling, this paper focuses on various factors that affect the energy consumption of the Mecanum wheel robot, such as motor temperature, terrain, the center of gravity position, etc. The model is derived from the kinematic and kinetic model combined with electrical engineering and energy flow principles. The model has been simulated in MATLAB and experimentally validated with the four-wheeled Mecanum robot platform in our lab. Experimental results show that the accuracy of the model reached 95%. The results of energy consumption modeling can help robots save energy by helping them to perform rational path planning and task planning.