bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improvement in the Thermostability of a Recombinant β-Glucosidase Immobilized in Zeolite under Different Conditions
Authors: Ramírez-Ramírez Luis Gerardo , Zazueta-Álvarez David Enrique , Fileto-Pérez Héctor Alonso , Reyes-Jáquez Damián , Núñez-Núñez Cynthia Manuela , Galindo-De la Rosa Juan de Dios , López-Miranda Javier , Vázquez-Ortega Perla Guadalupe
Published: June 2022

β-Glucosidase is part of the cellulases and is responsible for degrading cellobiose into glucose, a compound that can be used to produce biofuels. However, the use of the free enzyme makes the process more expensive. Enzyme immobilization improves catalytic characteristics and supports, such as zeolites, which have physical-chemical characteristics and ion exchange capacity that have a promising application in the biotechnological industry. This research aimed to immobilize by adsorption a recombinant β-glucosidase from Trichoderma reesei, obtained in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), in a commercial zeolite. A Box Behnken statistical design was applied to find the optimal immobilization parameters, the stability against pH and temperature was determined, and the immobilized enzyme was characterized by SEM. The highest enzymatic activity was determined with 100 mg of zeolite at 35 °C and 175 min. Compared to the free enzyme, the immobilized recombinant β-glucosidase presented greater activity from pH 2 to 4 and greater thermostability. The kinetic parameters were calculated, and a lower KM value was obtained for the immobilized enzyme compared to the free enzyme. The obtained immobilization parameters by a simple adsorption method and the significant operational stability indicate promising applications in different fields.
Organic Crosslinked Polymer-Derived N/O-Doped Porous Carbons for High-Performance Supercapacitor
Authors: Lao Jianhao , Lu Yao , Fang Songwen , Xu Fen , Sun Lixian , Wang Yu , Zhou Tianhao , Liao Lumin , Guan Yanxun , Wei Xueying , Zhang Chenchen , Yang Yukai , Xia Yongpeng , Luo Yumei , Zou Yongjin , Chu Hailiang , Zhang Huanzhi , Luo Yong , Zhu Yanling
Published: June 2022

Supercapacitors, as a new type of green electrical energy storage device, are a potential solution to environmental problems created by economic development and the excessive use of fossil energy resources. In this work, nitrogen/oxygen (N/O)-doped porous carbon materials for high-performance supercapacitors are fabricated by calcining and activating an organic crosslinked polymer prepared using polyethylene glycol, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, and 4,4-diphenylmethane diisocyanate. The porous carbon exhibits a large specific surface area (1589 m2·g−1) and high electrochemical performance, thanks to the network structure and rich N/O content in the organic crosslinked polymer. The optimized porous carbon material (COCLP-4.5), obtained by adjusting the raw material ratio of the organic crosslinked polymer, exhibits a high specific capacitance (522 F·g−1 at 0.5 A·g−1), good rate capability (319 F·g−1 at 20 A·g−1), and outstanding stability (83% retention after 5000 cycles) in a three-electrode system. Furthermore, an energy density of 18.04 Wh·kg−1 is obtained at a power density of 200.0 W·kg−1 in a two-electrode system. This study demonstrates that organic crosslinked polymer-derived porous carbon electrode materials have good energy storage potential.
COVID-19 Mortality and Therapeutics in Nebraska and Southwest Iowa during Early Pandemic
Authors: Destache Christopher J. , Ahmad Faran , Rajendrapasad Sanu , Loranger Austin , Pruett William , Jagan Nikhal , Krajicek Bryan , Schmidt David , Quimby David , Velagapudi Manasa , Boldt Dayla , Hayes Sarah , Anthone Jennifer , Kessel Brittney , Vivekanandan Renuga
Published: June 2022

Different pharmacotherapeutics have been introduced, and then stopped or continued, for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2. We evaluated the risks associated with mortality from SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS: Data was concurrently or retrospectively captured on COVID-19 hospitalized patients from 6 regional hospitals within the health system. Demographic details, the source of SARS-CoV-2 infection, concomitant disease status, as well as the therapeutic agents used for treating SARS-CoV-2 (e.g., antimicrobials, dexamethasone, convalescent plasma, tocilizumab, and remdesivir) were recorded. Discrete and continuous variables were analyzed using SPSS (ver. 27). Logistic regression identified variables significantly correlated with mortality. RESULTS: 471 patients (admitted from 1 March 2020 through 15 July 2020) were reviewed. Mean (±SD) age and body weight (kg) were 62.5 ± 17.7 years and 86.3 ± 27.1 kg, respectively. Patients were Caucasian (50%), Hispanic (34%), African-American (10%), or Asian (5%). Females accounted for 52% of patients. Therapeutic modalities used for COVID-19 illness included remdesivir (16%), dexamethasone (35%), convalescent plasma (17.8%), and tocilizumab (5.8%). The majority of patients returned home (62%) or were transferred to a skilled nursing facility (23%). The overall mortality from SARS-CoV-2 was 14%. Logistic regression identified variables significantly correlated with mortality. Intubation, receipt of dexamethasone, African-American or Asian ethnicity, and being a patient from a nursing home were significantly associated with mortality (x2 = 86.36 (13) p < 0.0005). CONCLUSIONS: SARS-CoV-2 infected hospitalized patients had significant mortality risk if they were intubated, received dexamethasone, were of African-American or Asian ethnicity, or occupied a nursing home bed prior to hospital admission.
Biopriming of Maize Seeds with a Novel Bacterial Strain SH-6 to Enhance Drought Tolerance in South Korea
Authors: Shaffique Shifa , Khan Muhammad Aaqil , Wani Shabir Hussain , Imran Muhammad , Kang Sang-Mo , Pande Anjali , Adhikari Arjun , Kwon Eun-Hae , Lee In-Jung
Published: June 2022

Maize is the third most common cereal crop worldwide, after rice and wheat, and plays a vital role in preventing global hunger crises. Approximately 50% of global crop yields are reduced by drought stress. Bacteria as biostimulants for biopriming can improve yield and enhance sustainable food production. Further, seed biopriming stimulates plant defense mechanisms. In this study, we isolated bacteria from the rhizosphere of Artemisia plants from Pohang beach, Daegu, South Korea. Twenty-three isolates were isolated and screened for growth promoting potential. Among them, bacterial isolate SH-6 was selected based on maximum induced tolerance to polyethylene glycol-simulated drought. SH-6 showed ABA concentration = 1.06 ± 0.04 ng/mL, phosphate solubilizing index = 3.7, and sucrose concentration = 0.51 ± 0.13 mg/mL. The novel isolate SH-6 markedly enhanced maize seedling tolerance to oxidative stress owing to the presence of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase activities in the culture media. Additionally, we quantified and standardized the biopriming effect of SH-6 on maize seeds. SH-6 significantly increased maize seedling drought tolerance by up to 20%, resulting in 80% germination potential. We concluded that the novel bacterium isolate SH-6 (gene accession number (OM757882) is a biostimulant that can improve germination performance under drought stress.
A Complete Review of Mexican Plants with Teratogenic Effects
Authors: Chamorro-Cevallos Germán , Mojica-Villegas María Angélica , García-Martínez Yuliana , Pérez-Gutiérrez Salud , Madrigal-Santillán Eduardo , Vargas-Mendoza Nancy , Morales-González José A. , Cristóbal-Luna José Melesio
Published: June 2022

In Mexico, the use of medicinal plants is the first alternative to treat the diseases of the most economically vulnerable population. Therefore, this review offers a list of Mexican plants (native and introduced) with teratogenic effects and describes their main alterations, teratogenic compounds, and the models and doses used. Our results identified 63 species with teratogenic effects (19 native) and the main alterations that were found in the nervous system and axial skeleton, induced by compounds such as alkaloids, terpenes, and flavonoids. Additionally, a group of hallucinogenic plants rich in alkaloids employed by indigenous groups without teratogenic studies were identified. Our conclusion shows that several of the identified species are employed in Mexican traditional medicine and that the teratogenic species most distributed in Mexico are Astragalus mollissimus, Astragalus lentiginosus, and Lupinus formosus. Considering the total number of plants in Mexico (≈29,000 total vascular plants), to date, existing research in the area shows that Mexican plants with teratogenic effects represent ≈0.22% of the total species of these in the country. This indicates a clear need to intensify the evaluation of the teratogenic effect of Mexican plants.
Silencing of Dihydroflavonol 4-reductase in Chrysanthemum Ray Florets Enhances Flavonoid Biosynthesis and Antioxidant Capacity
Authors: Lim Sun-Hyung , Kim Da-Hye , Jung Jae-A , Hyung Nam-In , Youn YeoJin , Lee Jong-Yeol
Published: June 2022

Flavonoid biosynthesis requires the activities of several enzymes, which form weakly-bound, ordered protein complexes termed metabolons. To decipher flux regulation in the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway of chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat), we suppressed the gene-encoding dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR) through RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated post-transcriptional gene silencing under a floral-specific promoter. Transgenic CmDFR-RNAi chrysanthemum plants were obtained by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Genomic PCR analysis of CmDFR-RNAi chrysanthemums propagated by several rounds of stem cuttings verified stable transgene integration into the genome. CmDFR mRNA levels were reduced by 60–80% in CmDFR-RNAi lines compared to those in wild-type (WT) plants in ray florets, but not leaves. Additionally, transcript levels of flavonoid biosynthetic genes were highly upregulated in ray florets of CmDFR-RNAi chrysanthemum relative to those in WT plants, while transcript levels in leaves were similar to WT. Total flavonoid contents were high in ray florets of CmDFR-RNAi chrysanthemums, but flavonoid contents of leaves were similar to WT, consistent with transcript levels of flavonoid biosynthetic genes. Ray florets of CmDFR-RNAi chrysanthemums exhibited stronger antioxidant capacity than those of WT plants. We propose that post-transcriptional silencing of CmDFR in ray florets modifies metabolic flux, resulting in enhanced flavonoid content and antioxidant activity.
Seed-to-Seedling Transition in Pisum sativum L.: A Transcriptomic Approach
Authors: Smolikova Galina , Strygina Ksenia , Krylova Ekaterina , Vikhorev Aleksander , Bilova Tatiana , Frolov Andrej , Khlestkina Elena , Medvedev Sergei
Published: June 2022

The seed-to-seedling transition is a crucial step in the plant life cycle. The transition occurs at the end of seed germination and corresponds to the initiation of embryonic root growth. To improve our understanding of how a seed transforms into a seedling, we germinated the Pisum sativum L. seeds for 72 h and divided them into samples before and after radicle protrusion. Before radicle protrusion, seeds survived after drying and formed normally developed seedlings upon rehydration. Radicle protrusion increased the moisture content level in seed axes, and the accumulation of ROS first generated in the embryonic root and plumule. The water and oxidative status shift correlated with the desiccation tolerance loss. Then, we compared RNA sequencing-based transcriptomics in the embryonic axes isolated from pea seeds before and after radicle protrusion. We identified 24,184 differentially expressed genes during the transition to the post-germination stage. Among them, 2101 genes showed more prominent expression. They were related to primary and secondary metabolism, photosynthesis, biosynthesis of cell wall components, redox status, and responses to biotic stress. On the other hand, 415 genes showed significantly decreased expression, including the groups related to water deprivation (eight genes) and response to the ABA stimulus (fifteen genes). We assume that the water deprivation group, especially three genes also belonging to ABA stimulus (LTI65, LTP4, and HVA22E), may be crucial for the desiccation tolerance loss during a metabolic switch from seed to seedling. The latter is also accompanied by the suppression of ABA-related transcription factors ABI3, ABI4, and ABI5. Among them, HVA22E, ABI4, and ABI5 were highly conservative in functional domains and showed homologous sequences in different drought-tolerant species. These findings elaborate on the critical biochemical pathways and genes regulating seed-to-seedling transition.
Design of Model Fluids for Flow Characterization Experiments Involving Mixing of Dissimilar Fluids—Refractive Index Matching and Physical Properties
Authors: Brito Margarida S. C. A.
Published: June 2022

Aqueous solutions of glycerol are widely used as model fluids in flow phenomena experiments. The design of these experiments involves the description of the physical properties of liquids and the refractive index matching using a salt, i.e., calcium chloride. The first part of this paper describes the physical properties of aqueous solutions of glycerol. Refractive index, viscosity, and density were measured for a mass fraction of glycerol in a range from 0 to 1 and compared to the data in the literature. In the second part, calcium chloride was added to aqueous solutions of glycerol, and the variations of density, viscosity, and refractive index with the mass fraction of calcium chloride were reported, which is a new contribution to literature. The main novelties of this work are (1) the development and validation of a set of equations to predict the rheological and physical properties of model fluids for flow studies involving dissimilar fluids; (2) the introduction of an algorithm to match the refractive index of fluids using calcium chloride. The model fluids are designed for large throughput experiments of industrial units, and low-cost solutions were considered. A Matlab script is provided that enables the easy implementation of this method in other works.
Design and Research of an Underactuated Manipulator Based on the Metamorphic Mechanism
Authors: Sun Lele , Zhang Haiou , Lin Hang , Pan Wujiu
Published: June 2022

Robot hands play an important role in the interaction between robots and the environment, and the precision and complexity of their tasks in work production are becoming higher and higher. However, because the traditional manipulator has too many driving components, complex control, and a lack of versatility, it is difficult to solve the contradiction between the degrees of freedom, weight, flexibility, and grasping ability. The existing manipulator has difficulty meeting the diversified requirements of a simple structure, a large grasping force, and the ability to automatically adapt to shape when grasping an object. To solve this problem, we designed a kind of underactuated manipulator with a simple structure and strong generality based on the metamorphic mechanism principle. First, the mechanism of the manipulator was designed on the basis of the metamorphic mechanism principle, and a kinematics analysis was carried out. Then, the genetic algorithm was used to optimize the size parameters of the manipulator finger structure. Finally, for different shapes of objects, the design of the control circuit binding force feedback control was carried out with a grasping experiment. The experimental results show that the manipulator has simple control and can grasp objects of different sizes, positions, and shapes.
Parallel Sensor-Space Lattice Planner for Real-Time Obstacle Avoidance
Authors: Martinez Rocamora Bernardo , Pereira Guilherme A. S.
Published: June 2022

This paper presents a parallel motion planner for mobile robots and autonomous vehicles based on lattices created in the sensor space of planar range finders. The planner is able to compute paths in a few milliseconds, thus allowing obstacle avoidance in real time. The proposed sensor-space lattice (SSLAT) motion planner uses a lattice to tessellate the area covered by the sensor and to rapidly compute collision-free paths in the robot surroundings by optimizing a cost function. The cost function guides the vehicle to follow a vector field, which encodes the desired vehicle path. We evaluated our method in challenging cluttered static environments, such as warehouses and forests, and in the presence of moving obstacles, both in simulations and real experiments. In these experiments, we show that our algorithm performs collision checking and path planning faster than baseline methods. Since the method can have sequential or parallel implementations, we also compare the two versions of SSLAT and show that the run time for its parallel implementation, which is independent of the number and shape of the obstacles found in the environment, provides a speedup greater than 25.
A Novel Digital Twin Architecture with Similarity-Based Hybrid Modeling for Supporting Dependable Disaster Management Systems
Authors: Yun Seong-Jin , Kwon Jin-Woo , Kim Won-Tae
Published: June 2022

Disaster management systems require accurate disaster monitoring and prediction services to reduce damages caused by natural disasters. Digital twins of natural environments can provide the services for the systems with physics-based and data-driven disaster models. However, the digital twins might generate erroneous disaster prediction due to the impracticability of defining high-fidelity physics-based models for complex natural disaster behavior and the dependency of data-driven models on the training dataset. This causes disaster management systems to inappropriately use disaster response resources, including medical personnel, rescue equipment and relief supplies, to ensure that it may increase the damages from the natural disasters. This study proposes a digital twin architecture to provide accurate disaster prediction services with a similarity-based hybrid modeling scheme. The hybrid modeling scheme creates a hybrid disaster model that compensates for the errors of physics-based prediction results with a data-driven error correction model to enhance the prediction accuracy. The similarity-based hybrid modeling scheme reduces errors from the data dependency of the hybrid model by constructing a training dataset using similarity assessments between the target disaster and the historical disasters. Evaluations in wildfire scenarios show that the digital twin decreases prediction errors by approximately 50% compared with those of the existing schemes.
Smart Textile Sock System for Athletes’ Self-Correction during Functional Tasks: Formative Usability Evaluation
Authors: Semjonova Guna , Davidovica Anna , Kozlovskis Nikita , Okss Aleksandrs , Katashevs Aleksejs
Published: June 2022

(1) Background: The development of a lightweight, easy-to-use system that measures the foot’s plantar pressure is becoming an increasingly important area of research in physiotherapy. For further development of the smart sock system, a formative usability study was conducted, where the smart textile sock sensor system was used for self-correction during functional tasks; (2) Methods: Five athletes from the football school participated in the formative usability study. Athletes performed pre-defined functional tasks for self-correction when interacting with the smart textile sock system. Formative usability evaluation methods: effectiveness (task success rate, error rate), efficiency (time-based), satisfaction evaluated by System Usability Scale (SUS); (3) Results: Formative usability indicators: task completeness effectiveness ranged from 40% to 100% in the first- and second-stage tasks. Completed task efficiency time: Stage 1, from 4.2 s (SD 1.3) to 88.8 s (SD 19.8); Stage 2, from 7.2 s (SD 1.9) to 9.6 s (SD 2.1). Satisfaction was assessed by the SUS system user group with 76 points (SD 7.42), which indicates “good” satisfaction; (4) Conclusions: formative usability indicators showed the need for technical improvements to the smart textile sock pressure sensor system. The SUS results indicate “good” satisfaction with the smart textile sock pressure sensor system and its application.
Human Blood Platelets Adsorption on Polymeric Materials for Liquid Biopsy
Authors: Potrich Cristina , Frascella Francesca , Bertana Valentina , Barozzi Mario , Vanzetti Lia , Piccoli Federico , Cristallo Attilio Fabio , Malara Natalia , Pirri Candido Fabrizio , Pederzolli Cecilia , Lunelli Lorenzo
Published: June 2022

Platelets are emerging as a promising source of blood biomarkers for several pathologies, including cancer. New automated techniques for easier manipulation of platelets in the context of lab-on-a-chips could be of great support for liquid biopsy. Here, several polymeric materials were investigated for their behavior in terms of adhesion and activation of human platelets. Polymeric materials were selected among the most used in microfabrication (PDMS, PMMA and COC) and commercial and home-made resins for 3D printing technology with the aim to identify the most suitable for the realization of microdevices for human platelets isolation and analysis. To visualize adherent platelets and their activation state scanning, electron microscopy was used, while confocal microscopy was used for evaluating platelets’ features. In addition, atomic force microscopy was employed to further study platelets adherent to the polymeric materials. Polymers were divided in two main groups: the most prone to platelet adhesion and materials that cause few or no platelets to adhere. Therefore, different polymeric materials could be identified as suitable for the realization of microdevices aimed at capturing human platelets, while other materials could be employed for the fabrication of microdevices or parts of microdevices for the processing of platelets, without loss on surfaces during the process.
Evaluation of Blood Coagulation by Optical Vortex Tracking
Authors: Gong Jiaxing , Zhang Yaowen , Zhang Hui , Li Qi , Ren Guangbin , Lu Wenjian , Wang Jing
Published: June 2022

Blood coagulation is a complicated dynamic process that maintains the blood’s fluid state and prevents uncontrollable bleeding. The real-time monitoring of coagulation dynamics is critical for blood transfusion guidance, emergency management of trauma-induced coagulopathy, perioperative bleeding, and targeted hemostatic therapy. Here, we utilize optical vortex dynamics to detect the blood coagulation dynamic process in a rapid and non-contact manner. To characterize the temporal changes in viscoelastic properties of blood during coagulation, we track the stochastic motion of optical vortices in the time-varying speckles reflected from 100 blood samples with varied coagulation profiles. The mean square displacement (MSD) of the vortices increases nonlinearly with time lag during blood coagulation reminiscent of the particles in viscoelastic fluids. The MSD curves with coagulation time are similar to the tracings of thromboelastography (TEG) during the blood coagulation. The retrieved coagulation parameters, such as reaction time and activated clotting time measured using the optical vortex method, exhibit a close correlation to those parameters acquired from TEG. These results demonstrate the feasibility of the optical vortex method for monitoring blood coagulation at the point of care. Our method is also applicable to measuring the viscoelasticity of complex fluids and turbid soft matters.
Machine Learning-Based Risk Stratification for Gestational Diabetes Management
Authors: Yang Jenny , Clifton David , Hirst Jane E. , Kavvoura Foteini K. , Farah George , Mackillop Lucy , Lu Huiqi
Published: June 2022

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is often diagnosed during the last trimester of pregnancy, leaving only a short timeframe for intervention. However, appropriate assessment, management, and treatment have been shown to reduce the complications of GDM. This study introduces a machine learning-based stratification system for identifying patients at risk of exhibiting high blood glucose levels, based on daily blood glucose measurements and electronic health record (EHR) data from GDM patients. We internally trained and validated our model on a cohort of 1148 pregnancies at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH), and performed external validation on 709 patients from Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (RBH). We trained linear and non-linear tree-based regression models to predict the proportion of high-readings (readings above the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [NICE] guideline) a patient may exhibit in upcoming days, and found that XGBoost achieved the highest performance during internal validation (0.021 [CI 0.019–0.023], 0.482 [0.442–0.516], and 0.112 [0.109–0.116], for MSE, R2, MAE, respectively). The model also performed similarly during external validation, suggesting that our method is generalizable across different cohorts of GDM patients.
Diagnosis and Prognosis of COVID-19 Disease Using Routine Blood Values and LogNNet Neural Network
Authors: Huyut Mehmet Tahir , Velichko Andrei
Published: June 2022

Since February 2020, the world has been engaged in an intense struggle with the COVID-19 disease, and health systems have come under tragic pressure as the disease turned into a pandemic. The aim of this study is to obtain the most effective routine blood values (RBV) in the diagnosis and prognosis of COVID-19 using a backward feature elimination algorithm for the LogNNet reservoir neural network. The first dataset in the study consists of a total of 5296 patients with the same number of negative and positive COVID-19 tests. The LogNNet-model achieved the accuracy rate of 99.5% in the diagnosis of the disease with 46 features and the accuracy of 99.17% with only mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and activated partial prothrombin time. The second dataset consists of a total of 3899 patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19 who were treated in hospital, of which 203 were severe patients and 3696 were mild patients. The model reached the accuracy rate of 94.4% in determining the prognosis of the disease with 48 features and the accuracy of 82.7% with only erythrocyte sedimentation rate, neutrophil count, and C reactive protein features. Our method will reduce the negative pressures on the health sector and help doctors to understand the pathogenesis of COVID-19 using the key features. The method is promising to create mobile health monitoring systems in the Internet of Things.
A Multi-Resident Number Estimation Method for Smart Homes
Authors: Masciadri Andrea , Lin Changhong , Comai Sara , Salice Fabio
Published: June 2022

Population aging requires innovative solutions to increase the quality of life and preserve autonomous and independent living at home. A need of particular significance is the identification of behavioral drifts. A relevant behavioral drift concerns sociality: older people tend to isolate themselves. There is therefore the need to find methodologies to identify if, when, and how long the person is in the company of other people (possibly, also considering the number). The challenge is to address this task in poorly sensorized apartments, with non-intrusive sensors that are typically wireless and can only provide local and simple information. The proposed method addresses technological issues, such as PIR (Passive InfraRed) blind times, topological issues, such as sensor interference due to the inability to separate detection areas, and algorithmic issues. The house is modeled as a graph to constrain transitions between adjacent rooms. Each room is associated with a set of values, for each identified person. These values decay over time and represent the probability that each person is still in the room. Because the used sensors cannot determine the number of people, the approach is based on a multi-branch inference that, over time, differentiates the movements in the apartment and estimates the number of people. The proposed algorithm has been validated with real data obtaining an accuracy of 86.8%.
The Effects of Psychophysical Methods on Spectral and Spatial TOJ Thresholds
Authors: Fostick Leah , Babkoff Harvey
Published: June 2022

(1) Background: A large number of studies have used different psychophysical methods for measuring temporal order judgment (TOJ) thresholds, which makes it difficult to compare the results of different studies. In this study, we aimed to compare the thresholds measured by the two main procedures used in many studies, the adaptive procedure, and the method of constant stimuli; (2) Methods: Study 1 tested spatial TOJ and included 109 participants, 50 using the adaptive procedure and 59 using the constant stimuli procedure. Study 2 tested spectral TOJ and included 223 participants, 119 using the adaptive procedure and 104 using constant stimuli; (3) Results: Both the spatial and spectral TOJ results showed no difference between the psychophysical methods, either in (1) the form of the distribution; (2) the mean; or (3) the standard deviation. However, Bayesian analysis showed a large Bayes factor only for spatial TOJ; (4) Conclusions: There is no difference between spatial TOJ thresholds measured by an adaptive procedure and the method of constant stimuli, and their results can be compared across studies. A similar conclusion can be drawn also for spectral TOJ, but should be considered more cautiously.
A Study on sEMG-Based Motor Variability and Functional Connectivity of the Upper Limb Depending on Weight Distributions in a Handle of a Cordless Stick-Type Vacuum Cleaner
Authors: Yu Hayeon , Kang Eunchae , Chang Joonho
Published: June 2022

This study investigated the muscle activities, motor variability, and functional connectivity of the upper limb as a function of weight distributions in a handle of a cordless stick-type vacuum cleaner. Eighteen female college students with experience of vacuum cleaner-use participated in testing. Five handles with different centers of mass (CM) were prepared (centroid, top-rear, top-front, bottom-front, and bottom-rear), and electromyography for the muscles of the upper limb were measured during vacuuming. The results showed that the %MVC values of the Extensor Carpi Ulnaris (p = 0.0038) and Deltoid Middle (p = 0.0094) increased but that of the Biceps Brachii (p = 0.0001) decreased, as the CM moved from the top to bottom area of the handle. The motor variability of the Extensor Carpi Ulnaris (p = 0.0335) and Brachioradialis (p = 0.0394) significantly varied depending on the CM locations but failed to show significance in the post-hoc analyses. Lastly, the functional connectivity values of the muscle pairs such as the Extensor Carpi Ulnaris–Deltoid Middle (p = 0.0016), Extensor Carpi Ulnaris–Upper Trapezius (p = 0.0174), Brachioradialis–Biceps Brachii (p = 0.0356), and Biceps Brachii–Upper Trapezius (p = 0.0102) were significantly altered as a function of the CM locations. The lowest functional connectivity was found with the handle of which CM was at centroid.
Autonomous 6-DOF Manipulator Operation for Moving Target by a Capture and Placement Control System
Authors: Chen Xiang , Liu Peilin , Ying Rendong , Wen Fei
Published: June 2022

The robot control technology combined with a machine vision system provides a feasible method for the autonomous operation of moving target. However, designing an effective visual servo control system is a great challenge. For the autonomous operation of the objects moving on the pipeline, this article is dedicated to developing a capture and placement control system for the six degrees of freedom (6-DOF) manipulator equipped with an eye-in-hand camera. Firstly, a path planning strategy of online capture and offline placement is proposed for real-time capture and efficient placement. Subsequently, to achieve the fast, stable, and robust capture for a moving target, a position-based visual servo (PBVS) controller is developed by combining estimated velocity feedforward and refined PID control. Feedforward control is designed using the estimated velocity by a proposed motion estimation method for high response speed. PID control is refined by dead zone constraint to reduce the manipulator’s jitter caused by the frequent adjustment of manipulator control system. Besides, the proportional, integral, and differential coefficients of PID controller are adaptively tuned by fuzzy control to reject the noise, disturbance, and dynamic variation in the capture process. Finally, validation experiments are performed on the constructed ROS–Gazebo simulation platform, demonstrating the effectiveness of the developed control system.
Analysis of Prospective Teachers’ Perceptions of the Flipped Classroom as a Classroom Methodology
Authors: Colomo Magaña Alejandro , Colomo Magaña Ernesto , Guillén-Gámez Francisco D. , Cívico Ariza Andrea
Published: June 2022

In order for students to be the protagonists of the teaching and learning process, teachers must change their role in the classroom. A successful alternative is the flipped classroom methodology, where educational technology is integrated into a reorganisation and optimisation of class time. Based on this alternative, this paper aims to analyse the perceptions of future teachers about the FC as an active methodology. A quantitative longitudinal panel design was carried out with pre-test and post-test measures, with a descriptive, inferential and predictive approach. The sample consisted of 284 prospective teachers from the University of Malaga (Spain), who were asked about their perceptions of the FC using an ad hoc questionnaire. The results reflect positive perceptions of the FC methodology on the part of the future teachers, with significant differences by gender in favour of men. The variables gender, re-watching videos, digital competence and autonomous learning were predictors of the participants’ perceptions. In conclusion, it is important to highlight the importance of implementing active methodologies such as the FC with future teachers that they can use when carrying out their work.
Embedding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into a Kinesiology Curriculum: A Detailed Report of a Curriculum Redesign
Authors: Lewis Zakkoyya H. , Hansen Ken , Narasaki-Jara Mai , Killick Lara , Kwon MinHyuk , Chase Laura , Lemez Srdjan
Published: June 2022

Students need to be properly prepared by their education to work respectfully and effectively with diverse populations and in diverse environments. Our purpose is twofold: (i) to provide a thorough description of the curriculum redesign process for an undergraduate kinesiology and health promotion (KHP) program, and (ii) to use our experience to provide more general recommendations to other departments and universities undergoing curricular redesign. The catalyst for this redesign was the conversion from a quarter-system to a semester-system and the opportunities for improvement identified through that process. The redesign was guided by a newly created departmental strategic plan, faculty professional development trainings, student feedback, faculty hirings and their areas of expertise, and industry demands. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) was mindfully embedded into the curriculum to reflect the department-, college-, and university-level core value of inclusivity. The redesign allows prospective KHP students to complete several courses that address DEI themes, in addition to the courses that build their technical competencies. Providing foundational exposure to DEI concepts through the undergraduate curriculum can better prepare students to work in diverse settings. As such, this report provides other programs with a framework to follow to make curriculum more DEI centric for their students.
Analysis of Factors for Korea’s Export Companies to Respond to Trade Remedies: Mediation Effect of Fairness Perception
Authors: Kim Minjae , Pak Myongsop
Published: June 2022

This study analyzes the factors that enable Korea’s export companies, governments, and associations to effectively respond to the trade remedies represented by unilateral trade negotiation strategies. For this purpose, a research model was established through a deductive theoretical extension of organizational behavior theory, which can be applied directly by enterprises and related organizations. According to the results, factors that are both internal and external to a firm have a positive influence in reinforcing its capacity to respond to trade remedies. As a result, it was concluded that the reinforcement of response capacity leads to the qualitative and quantitative development of companies. This direct causal path confirmed the validity of the hypothesis that a manager’s fairness perception in trade remedies would represent leadership in organizational behavior theory. Thus, leadership was found to have a partial mediating effect between the two factors, thereby enhancing the causal relationship’s explanatory power and statistical significance.
Editorial for the Special Issue “Reviews and Advances in Materials Processing”
Authors: Gupta Manoj
Published: June 2022

In the area of Materials Science and Engineering, the tetrahedron comprising of processing, microstructure, properties and performance as four vertex corners is always key to develop new materials and to convert them to a useful shape for end application with the best properties possible [...]
Sensitivity of Ostracods to U, Cd and Cu: The Case of Cypridopsis vidua
Authors: Chen Liang , Huo Zheng , Su Chi , Liu Yong , Huang Wei , Liu Shan , Feng Peng , Guo Zhixin , Su Zhihua , He Haiyang , Sui Qinglin
Published: June 2022

The development of uranium mines has been necessary to obtain abundant and scarce uranium resources, but they also bring inevitable radioactive contamination to the surrounding soil, rivers and lakes. This paper explores the sensitivity of Cypridopsis vidua to the radioactive element uranium and the heavy elements cadmium and copper with single and combined acute toxicity experiments and combined toxicity model predictions. The results from the single toxicity experiments showed that the degree of toxic effects was cadmium > copper > uranium. The combined toxicity experiments showed that the compound toxicity of U-Cd and U-Cu was higher than the weakest component and lower than the strongest component, whereas the compound toxicity of Cd-Cu was higher than either of its components. When the overall proportion of a more toxic metal was increased, its mixed toxicity also increased, and vice versa. Combined toxicity predictions showed that the U-Cd combination was best described by the concentration additive (CA) model, the independent action (IA) model was more applicable to the Cd-Cu combination, and the most applicable model for the U-Cu combination changed depending on the concentration gradient. The acute toxicity data from this study provide a reference for the development of wastewater discharge standards for uranium mines, enriches the data related to the toxicity of uranium for ostracods and deepens the understanding of the threat of uranium pollution to aquatic ecosystems.
Shore Shadow Effect in Baikal
Authors: Bhatt Apoorva , Malecki Paweł , Góra Dariusz
Published: June 2022

The measurement of the individual charged particles especially muons in an extended air shower (EAS) resulting from primary cosmic rays provides important distinguishing parameters to identify the chemical composition of the cosmic primary particles. For Neutrino Telescope experiments like Baikal-GVD, the estimation of underwater muon flux is of importance to study atmospheric muons. In this paper, a GEANT4-based simulation is presented to estimate the atmospheric muon flux underwater taking Baikal-GVD as an example. The location of the Baikal-GVD experiment at Lake Baikal provides a unique opportunity to study the passage of muons through its northern shore and the water. The muons arriving from the north direction will lose more energy as compared to those arriving from the south. An approximation for the northern shore is also simulated in the GEANT4 geometry and the results of the simulation are compared with the measurements from the NT-96 detector. The results of the simulations are consistent with the shore shadow observed in the measurements in the NT-96. This approach can also be used to propagate the muons from generators like CORSIKA through long distances in matter like water, ice, earth, etc. for simulations in such experiments.
Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography to Estimate Early Retinal Blood Flow Changes after Uncomplicated Cataract Surgery
Authors: Baldascino Antonio , Ripa Matteo , Carlà Matteo Mario , Caporossi Tomaso , Grieco Giulia , Gambini Gloria , De Vico Umberto , Raguso Giuseppe , Kilian Raphael , Rizzo Clara , Rizzo Stanislao
Published: June 2022

Background: To investigate macular microvascular changes after uncomplicated phacoemulsification surgery according to the cataract severity grade. Methods: Retrospective, cross-sectional study involving 23 eyes of 23 patients who underwent elective cataract extraction. All patients underwent routine ophthalmologic examination, including optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) at baseline (preoperative visit, T0) and seven days postoperatively (T7). OCTA scans were obtained with the spectral domain system Cirrus 5000 (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc., Dublin, CA, USA), and 3 mm × 3 mm raster fovea-centered scans were obtained to evaluate the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) vessel density, perfusion density, and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) parameters. Results: SCP perfusion density significantly increased from 28.3 ± 5.73% to 33.74 ± 4.13% after the surgery (p < 0.001). Similarly, SCP vessel density significantly increased from 15.14 ± 3.41 mm−1 to 18.14 ± 2.57 mm−1 after surgery (p < 0.001). The mean preoperative FAZ area significantly increased from 0.27 ± 0.12 mm to 0.24 ± 0.11 mm seven days postoperatively (p = 0.008). When comparing softer and harder cataracts, no significant variations in SCP vessel density, as well as SCP perfusion density parameters and the FAZ area, perimeter, and circularity index, were noted before and after surgery. Conclusions: Macular SPC vessel density and macular SCP perfusion density increase after uncomplicated cataract surgery regardless of the cataract severity.
Generating Landslide Susceptibility Maps Using Mathematical Models and UAV data: The Case of Çankırı Region in Türkiye
Authors: ÖZÇELİK Abdullah , BUĞDAY Ender
Published: June 2022

Landslides are natural disasters that affect not only residential areas but alos forest ecosystems. In order to determine the areas with high landslide risk and take necessary measures in risky areas, landslides susceptible should analyzed and susceptible map (LSM) should be developed in advance. In this study, a LSM was produced for two study areas with different sizes including Çankırı province and in the Ilısılık Village of Çankırı in Türkiye. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Logistic Regression Modeling (LRM) methods were used to generate LSM based on the main factors including elevation, slope, lithology, distance to faults - streams and roads. For Çankırı province, 30 m resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) was used to produce the map while one-meter resolution Digital Terrain Model (DTM), generated by using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), was used for Ilısılık Village. As a result of the study, AHP model success was calculated as 73.9% and 91.7% for Çankırı and Ilısılık, respectively, considering the previous landslides occurred in the region. On the other hand, LRM model success was 75.2% and 93.1%, respectively. It was also indicated that DTM data is advantageous to DEM data by offering a more precise and detailed usage opportunity. The sensitivity is revealed more clearly and effectively in precision planning studies such as risk mapping of natural disasters that requires special measurement in small areas.
RANCANG BANGUN APLIKASI PENGIRIMAN DOKUMEN MENGGUNAKAN KOMBINASI ALGORITMA RSA DAN ALGORITMA XOR
Authors: Refialy Leonardo Petra
Published: June 2022

Digital data or documents in the exchange process in a network, must be completely safe, intact, and always kept confidential, this is the background for the need for a system that can guarantee the security and confidentiality of the data and documents in the data transfer process. This research makes a design of a data security program in sending documents using the RSA cryptographic algorithm and the XOR algorithm. The RSA algorithm involves two keys in encryption, namely the public key and the private key. The public key can be distributed to various parties to perform encryption or decryption. Messages that have been encrypted with the public key can only be decrypted using the private key. XOR algorithm is a cryptographic technique (encoding) data that uses the principle of XOR logic in the encryption and description process. Analysis of the Encryption Process and Description of the XOR method The encryption algorithm using XOR is to XOR plaintext (P) with key (K) to produce ciphertext. By using the prototype method in carrying out the research stages, the applications built have undergone adjustments according to requests/input from application users. The application can run well because it can encrypt and decrypt documents in sending email from within the application. Then from the test results obtained the greater the bit strength of the key, the greater the processing time required to generate the key, secondly the larger the file size, the greater the processing time required for encryption/decryption. The file format does not affect the processing time, and thirdly, the greater the bit strength, the faster the encryption time
Золотое оруденение Нижне-Мякитского рудно-россыпного узла (Северо-Восток России)
Authors:   North-East Interdisciplinary Scientific Research Institute n. a. N. A. Shilo, FEB RAS, Magadan, Litvinenko I. S. , Shilina L. A. ,   Magadan Oblast Local Museum, Magadan
Published: June 2022

A comprehensive study of native gold and ore mineral parageneses of the Berental intrusive-dome structure in the southeastern part of the Yano-Kolyma gold-bearing belt has been carried out. The zonality of mineralization is shown: from the central part (in the Berental stock endocontacts) with the Au-Bi-Te mineralization "style" to - As-Au (in the exocontacts of the stock) and, further, to Ag-Pb-Zn on the periphery. In the same direction changes the fineness of native gold in ores, from high and medium to low fineness. Antimony mineralization was noted at the final stage of ore formation. Vertical zoning is expressed in the silver-polysulfide type of mineralization changing with depth to sulfide-sulfoarsenide and, lower, bismuth-sulfotelluride. A rare mineral, maldonite (Au2Bi), is relatively widespread. The end-to-end ore minerals are pyrrhotite, native bismuth, and its tellurides. The obtained facts permitted to attribute the hydrothermal system of the Berental stock to the RIRGD type, i. e. to gold deposits associated with restored intrusives, which can contribute to the improvement of the methodology for prospecting and evaluation works at deposits of this type and to the discovery of large occurrences in terms of reserves.
К анализу флор арктических тундр Севера Дальнего Востока России
Authors:   Institute of Biological Problems of the North, FEB RAS, Magadan, Polezhaev A. N.
Published: June 2022

An algorithm for analyzing of botanical information for use in the study of flora and vegetation by grid mapping was proposed using the example of the subzonal phytochora of the Arctic tundras. The article shows the total species richness of the studied area, which consists of 1007 taxa of vascular plants, mosses and lichens. The results of systematic, morphological, ecological, cenotic, and geographical analyses of Arctic tundra flora are presented; the distribution of vascular plant species of Arctic tundras in other subzonal flora of the region is shown; lists of species common for Arctic tundras and other subzonal floras are given; rare and endemic for the region species are identified.